Agartala: Nov 08: In Tripura, the state government’s primary goal is to create job opportunities for the unemployed through fish farming. This was stated by Minister Sudhanshu Das during a state-level review meeting at the Fisheries Department office in Gorkhabasti.
Minister Das mentioned that a review meeting was organized with all officers responsible for the Fisheries Department to discuss ways to increase fish production. The meeting also addressed the progress of initiatives being carried out by the Animal Resource Development Department.
He highlighted the severe damage caused to fish farmers by the devastating floods in Tripura. The state government is making continuous efforts to provide compensation to the affected farmers. The floods have caused an estimated loss of ₹1350 crore to fish farmers in the state. In response, the state government has provided an initial assistance of ₹10 crore.
According to the minister, Tripura has a yearly demand of approximately 1.16 lakh metric tons of fish. However, the state’s fish production stands at only 83,000 metric tons, resulting in a deficit of around 32,000 metric tons. To meet this shortfall, the state relies on imports from West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and to some extent, Bangladesh. However, the current situation in Bangladesh has created some challenges in sourcing fish from there.
The review meeting also focused on the steps being taken to meet the demand for fish and ensure that the general public’s needs are addressed. The government is committed to increasing local fish production to reduce dependency on external sources and improve the livelihoods of local fish farmers.
