New Delhi, September 3: Following major announcements to revamp the economic slowdown in the country, the Narendra Modi-led Central government is now on a new mission to increase inland fisheries’ production to six million tonnes from three million tonnes in the next three to four years. To achieve this target under the ambitious Blue Revolution project, the Union government has now lined up Rs 25,000 crore investments in different sectors of fisheries in the coming 3-4 years.

Informing more about the plan, Department of Fisheries Secretary Rajni Sikhri Sibal said, as Business Line reports, "We are looking at three types of support by way of infrastructure development in harbours; extending subsidies to joint venture projects to set up hatcheries/nurseries/quarantine facilities as well as viability gap funding to establish processing plants, cold chain facilities at harvest or landing sites." Economic Crisis in India: Nirmala Sitharaman Quashes Manmohan Singh's Claims on GDP Data, GST Collections Decline; Here's All the Financial Development From August 2019

According to the available data, inland fisheries contribute only 50 percent of the total fish production. To boost the development in the sector, the Union government intends to outspread its potential, and for this, they are mulling on a plan covering reservoirs, wetlands, rivers and streams in different parts of the country.

Adding more, Rajni Sikhri Sibal said, "We are planning to promote cold water fisheries in the entire Himalayan region to rear high-value fishes. We will soon sign an MoU with Iceland and Denmark to breed trout fish, a high-value variety. We have already signed an MoU with Norway in this regard."

To achieve the target of six million tonnes production for three million tonnes in the next three to four years, the government is looking at providing quality seed, quality feed, aquatic animal health laboratories, quarantine facilities.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 03, 2019 04:01 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).