“We heard of White & Green Revolution but now we need a Blue Revolution & harness the potential in fisheries sector.”
– Narendra Modi
Introduction to Blue Revolution
Fish occupy a vital role in our daily lives by giving food, enjoyment, nourishment, occupation, business, and more. It comes mainly from two methods of production structures: Capture Fisheries (catching wild fish from marine and freshwater) and Culture Fisheries (cultivating fish, called hydroponics). India is the second-biggest fish delivering country on the earth, with a yearly production of around 12.60 million metric tons. Fisheries play a significant part in the financial improvement of about 14.50 million fisher people in the country. With an expected food grain production of around 280 MMT, Indian Agriculture is ready for supported development in the years ahead. As a culmination, the development and improvement in the fisheries sub-area have additionally enlisted a quicker pace. Further, the interest in fish and fishery items is more on the increment inside and outside the nation, subsequently overwhelming the stock. The Government of India’s objective is to improve fish production from 2016-17 11.41 MMT to 15 MMT by 2019-20 and 17.5 MMT by 2021-22 under the Neeli Kranthi Mission (NKM).
Background
In December 2014, the Government of India had dispatched the ‘Blue Revolution’ Mission with a focal cost of Rs. 3000 crores. The SchemeScheme emphasized a coordinated methodology for progress and administration of fisheries covering both marine and inland fishing to guarantee a supported yearly development pace of 6% to 8% in fish production. It was additionally meant to build fish production and efficiency by using the fisheries assets prudently and multiplying the pay of fishers and fish farmers in these five years. The plan took on empowering private speculation, business advancement and better utilizing of institutional money. Ability improvement and limit working in fisheries and partnered ventures and the production of post-gather and cold chain foundation offices are the channels of accomplishing the objectives. The plan was executed from 2015-16 to 2019-20.
Vision of the Blue Revolution Scheme
To foster fisheries and hydroponics incredibly by embracing new and creative production advancements, the board and usage of unutilized water assets, the foundation of a suitable structure for post-collect tasks and appropriate market tie-ups.
Mission of the Blue Revolution Scheme
The vast improvement of the fisheries area through an upgrade of fish production and efficiency, enhancing nutritious protein for the developing populace and speeding up the nation’s general economy, other than further developing well-being, economy, products, business, and the travel industry in the country.
Objectives of the Blue Revolution Scheme
- To give centred consideration towards fisheries and hydroponics;
- To accomplish reasonable administration and preservation of regular amphibian assets;
- To apply current devices of innovative work for improving production and usefulness from fisheries;
- To give current systems to viable fisheries administration and ideal use;
- To prepare and enable women in the fisheries area and produce generous business;
- To upgrade the share of the fish towards food and dietary security.
- Doubling the pay of the fishers through expanded usefulness and further developing the post-reap promoting foundation, including online business, advances, and worldwide best trend-setters.
- To guarantee the active involvement of the fishers and the fish farmers in pay improvement.
To complete objectives, the Dept. of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries dispatched the Scheme “Blue Revolution: Integrated Development and Management of Fisheries” by combining every Scheme and project in the fisheries area. To stay competitive in the situation, NFDB is additionally developing itself to deal with an array of proactive and vital obligations under the Blue Revolution. NFDB is examining the proposition got from States/UTs under Blue Revolution and equipped to carry out straightforwardly some important ventures in arising and inventive regions in fisheries, for example, confine culture, quality seed production, esteem chain advancement, and so on
Salient Features of the Blue Revolution Scheme
- Providing reasonable linkages and combination with the ‘Sagarmala Project’ of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNAREGA), Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM), Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), Ministry of Shipping, National, and so on
- The Blue Revolution conspire focuses predominantly on improving the production and efficiency of hydroponics and fisheries both from the inland and marine sources.
- They promote and empower the monetarily in backward sections like the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Women, and their co-agents to take up fishing.
- The Blue Revolution Scheme supported business venture improvement, private speculation and better utilizing of institutional money.
Major Initiatives of the Blue Revolution
Significant steps taken by the Department of Fisheries and NFDB under the Blue Revolution has brought about the advancement of the fisheries area both as far as fish production and efficiency, post-harvest structure, promoting and so forth the monetary state of India through the expansion of fisheries and in this way contributing towards the food and nourishing security. The use of the water assets to advance fishing was finalized by the Neel Kranti Mission economically.
- Under Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture 22,607 ha region has been created for pisciculture, set up 11 Brood banks for the improvement of species, for example, Mahaseer, Channa striatus (Murrel), Jayanti Rohu, IMC, Amur Carp, Pangasius, trout and so forth, 535 fish seed incubators were set up for delivering seed supply for species like IMC, trout, Pangasius, Murrel and so on and 11 incubators were redesigned/updated. 3,679 ha were created for fish seed raising units.
- Promoted ventures to improve pay and work freedoms to localities subject to a wetland through the stocking of fish fingerlings in 2,875ha and worked in creating structure in Reservoirs to the reliant society through Integrated Reservoir fisheries advancement program focused in 29 repositories.
- Under the brackish water section, a space of 1,638 ha has been created, and 15 Nos of incubation facilities, including new species, for example, seabass and mud crab, were additionally advanced.
- In-situ pen and enclosure 13982 units were raised for fish seed growing in repositories and other water bodies.
- Under CSS BR on Marine Fisheries, 6 Nos. of fishing harbours were set up, 2 Nos existing harbours were modernized/updated.
- Under post-Harvest foundation – the cold chain has been made through the foundation of 221 units of Ice plants, eight teams of Cold stockpiling, 104 units of ice plants cum cold stockpiling, 128 units of the redesign of existing ice plants, 303 units of refrigerated and protected trucks 10 tons and one unit of refrigerated and protected truck 6 tons.
- To give fish in a sterile method and to acquire better pay from the fish seller, upheld Fish Transport and Marketing offices for securing 832 units of auto-carts, 5614 units of the bike with fridge, and 225 units of versatile/retail fish outlets (Kiosk) were set up.
National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB)
The National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB), set up in 2006, is an independent association under the authoritative control of the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Govt. of India. It was set up to understand the undiscovered capability of the fisheries area in inland and marine fish catch and culture, handling and promoting fish and speeding up the general development of the fisheries area with the utilization of current innovation sponsored by research and advancement.
The essential job of NFDB has been to channelize Govt. of India assets through ventures, for example, distinguishing the necessities of carrying out offices, giving a technical direction, observing the physical and monetary advancement of experiences, sway appraisal, and so on that have stayed as essential parts. By and by, NFDB has taken up various and diverse formative ventures, which have without a doubt gotten apparent positive changes in production and efficiency just as post-collect tasks of the fisheries area.
NFDB has straightforwardly broadened some need-based ventures commanded under the Blue Revolution plot with a special spotlight on expanding productiveness, job creation and production of better post-harvest and advertising structure and other need-based intercessions, some of which are referenced underneath:
- Focused on bunch-based methodology and created water assets for fish production and other auxiliary offices for distinguishable effect and advantage.
- We have demonstrated new and arising innovations like Cage Culture, Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) for serious fish production, which was a proof of idea, experience sharing and learning.
- Promoted fancy fisheries, upheld elaborate fish culture and reproduction, and increased its exchange and commodity.
- Imparted need-based quality preparing to fisheries departmental authorities, augmentation functionaries, fishers and fish farmers; workshops, seminars, farmers meet and so forth; and coordinated awareness programs.
Rs 20,050 Crore Scheme for the Fisheries Sector
On May 20, 2021, the Cabinet endorsed the Rs 20,050-crore Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) to achieve Blue Revolution through the manageable improvement of fisheries area over the next five years. The plan also intends to twofold the pay of fishers, fish farmers, and fish labourers by 2024. The all-out venture will contain the Centre’s portion of Rs 9,407 crore, states’ portion of Rs 4,880 crore and recipients’ portion of Rs 5,763 crore. The PMMSY will be executed with two parts: Central Sector Scheme (100% allowance by Centre) and Centrally Sponsored Scheme (60:40 among Centre and State). Any venture endorsed under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme, the recipient should contribute 60% while the Centre and the state together will donate 40% leftover expenses. If an occurrence of SC/ST/Woman recipient should arise, the government’s allowance will be 60%. The plan, to be executed between FY21 to FY25, targets employment of 15 lakh fishers, fish farmers, fish labourers, fish merchants in fishing and united ventures and 45 lakh roundabout business.
BK Mishra, MD, National Federation of Fishers Cooperatives, said that “Under social security, accidental insurance of anglers ought to be upgraded from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 5 lakh. Fish markets — both discount and retail — should be modernized, and Safal-type (Mother Dairy’s foods grown from the ground stores) retail outlets could be opened up in urban communities.”
Major Outcomes of the Blue Revolution
Significant achievements of the Blue Revolution can be stated as follows:
- Currently, the Indian Fisheries Sector arrived at a production of 4.7 million tons of fish from a constraint of 60,000 tons, including 1.6 million tons of fish from freshwater hydroponics.
- India is recorded to accomplish a normal yearly development of 14.8% when contrasted with the worldwide average level of 7.5 in fish and fish items production.
- The fisheries sector has turned into India’s biggest farming commodity in recent five years, with a 6% – 10% development pace.
- India has turned into the world’s second-biggest producer of fish, with exports worth more than Rs. 47,000 crore rupees.
- Fisheries and hydroponics production contributes 1% and 5% to India’s GDP and Agricultural GDP individually.