courtesy  :  sansad tv discussions

in dept –  blue revolution

The Blue Revolution is part of the Government’s efforts to promote fishing as an allied activity for farmers in order to double their incomes. It refers to an explosive growth in the aquaculture industry. As part of its efforts to raise seafood output and exports and promote sustainable aquaculture, the Government has constituted an independent Ministry for Fisheries. In the budget 2019-20, the government allocated an estimated 3,737 crore rupees for the newly carved out Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.

Blue Revolution in India

• It was launched in India during the 7^th Five Year Plan (FYP) that went from 1985 to 1990, during which the government sponsored the Fish Farmers Development Agency (FFDA).
• During the 8^th FYP, from 1992-97, the Intensive Marine Fisheries Program was launched in which collaboration with MNCs was encouraged.
• Over a period of time, fishing harbours in Tuticorin, Porbandar, Visakhapatnam, Kochi and Port Blair were established.
• A number of research centres have also been set up to increase the production as well as to do improvement in species.

Outcomes

• The FFDA brought improvement in aquaculture by adopting new techniques of fish breeding, rearing, marketing and export.
• The Indian Fisheries Sector which produced only 60,000 tonnes of fish 50 years ago produces 4.7 million tonnes including 1.6 million tonnes from freshwater aquaculture today.
• India recorded an average annual growth of 14.8% in production of fish and fish products in the last decade as compared to the global average of 7.5% in the same period.
  • Fisheries, are in fact, India’s single largest agricultural export with a growth rate of 6-10% in the last five years. In comparison, the growth rate of the farm sector in the same period is around 2.5%.
• Fishing is the primary source of livelihood for several communities in India and the country is the world’s second largest fish producer with exports worth more than 47,000 crore rupees.
  • Currently, the USA is the largest market for Indian seafood products with a share of 26.46% in terms of India’s exports of marine products followed by South East Asian Countries- 25.71% and the European Union Nations- 20.08%.
• The fisheries and aquaculture production contribute around 1% to India’s GDP and over 5% to the agricultural GDP.