GUWAHATI, March 29 � At a time when several Indian states have multiplied earnings and job opportunities in the fisheries sector, Assam is yet to see a change of fortunes even though it possesses abundant water bodies and favourable agro-climatic conditions. Fish production in the state is witnessing a gradual rise, but demand continues to overrun output, according to well placed sources in the Forest Department.
At present, Assam�s demand for fish is about 300 million kg based on nutritional aspects, and the production is around 206 million kg. The gap is filled by fish brought in from states such as Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh, the requirement for which is increasing.
Sources revealed that the State Fisheries Department has not been able to raise production due to several factors, including its failure to educate and empower fish farmers in a way that other states have. At present, in several districts, proper support from the department has been found wanting with posts staying vacant for years. In some districts, officers are in dual charge, for which they are unable to do justice to either of their assignments.
Moreover, seed constraint continues to be a challenge for the department, and inability to acquire those in time has impacted on fish farmers who number nearly 2,80,000 in the state. Delayed acquisition of fish seeds does not contribute to any substantial increase in production.
The lack of extension machinery has affected the promotion of new technology and identification of existing limitations, among fish farmers who would otherwise be willing to embrace new models to boost growth.
Incidentally, the department has been slow in developing new models in the state to attract fish farmers in large numbers. �Successful models are crucial because they motivate people to adopt new knowledge and technologies,� said a senior official of the department. He pointed out that the department�s two major assets in Guwahati � Dighali Pukhuri and GNB tank � could have been superb technology demonstrators, but with poor management, production figures relative to their size are distressingly low.
Experts believe that the department should review the work taking place in the College of Fisheries, which was set up to stimulate education and research, besides acting as an extension facility. More than two decades after it was established the institution suffers from inadequate infrastructure and other bottlenecks, which has limited its optimum efficacy.
Those acquainted with the present scenario point to the dearth of value addition opportunities in the fisheries sector. Value addition through processed products could have been revenue earners, and opened up employment avenues. Today, however, almost all processed fish products available in the market have their origins in Goa, Kerala, Tamil Nadu or Andhra Pradesh.
In order to promote the fisheries sector the department had planned Matsya Mitras, a body of trained resource persons. The novel measure saw the creation of a few hundred Matsya Mitras, but the numbers are now considered inadequate to serve all the fish farming regions of the state.
