Pvt hatcheries set to boost fisheries in UP

Fisheries Joint Director S K Singh told Business Standard the new hatcheries would function for rearing and enrichment of fish seeds to optimise fish production.

The UP Fisheries Development Corporation runs nine big hatcheries in Gorakhpur, Basti, Faizabad, Sultanpur, Lucknow, Shahjahanpur, Meerut, Jalaun and Allahabad.

About 150 hatcheries are operating in the private sector. However, the production of fish seeds in UP has consistently lagged demand, forcing procurement from other states. Fish seeds are distributed normally from July to October every year.

UP has an estimated 432,000 hectares of inland water, besides 28,500 km of waterways, which offer great opportunities for the development of the sector. The department is also coordinating with the Lucknow-based National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources (NBFGR) in this regard.

Meanwhile, 70 fisheries farmers development agencies are being set-up in all the districts of UP with 75 per cent funding by the centre.

"Last year, the department facilitated loans worth Rs 21 crore to fish farmers in the state," Singh informed. The department is running training programmes for fish farmers, in which they are educated about the optimum pond depth and water level for maximising production.

"They are also trained in new techniques of fish farming and taught about newer fish species. Besides, they are encouraged to form cooperative societies and avail of bank loans," Singh informed.

Last fiscal, the fisheries department facilitated