Jammu and Kashmir govt approves Rs 176 cr project to boost fish production

“It will also create job opportunities and boost the local economy, which will contribute to the overall development of the region,” read an official statement as reported by ANI.

Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), Agriculture Production Department, Atal Dulloo, who leads the Agriculture Production Department of J&K, told ANI that the aim of the project is to promote sustainable development of fisheries for nutritional security, employment generation, and economic prosperity in the UT of J&K.

The official statement said: “The project involves importing genetically improved fish seed, upgrading existing hatcheries and fish rearing units, introducing species diversity in aquaculture through R&D, and commercializing trout and carp fish production using modern technologies such as RAS and Biofloc”.

“The programme aims to increase fish production, productivity, and growth rate, as well as to strengthen social security and welfare measures for the fishing community, facilitate improved post-harvest practices and value addition, and create market linkages,” he added.

“One of the prime requisites for successful aquaculture is the availability of good quality fish seed. The Technical Programme under the project includes importing genetically improved varieties of fish seed to ensure the overall success of fish farming practices. Quality fish seed determines the health, size, growth rate, disease resistance, and other physical and physiological characteristics of the fish, which in turn affect the overall fish production”, Dulloo said.