India’s aquaculture and fisheries sector is emerging as a ‘sunrise sector’ due to the increasing demand for fish both domestically and internationally. The sector directly and indirectly employs more than 28 million people and contributes 1.1% to the economy. It has great potential to generate livelihoods and increase rural income.
Bihar has abundant water resources, a long tradition and a high consumption of fish, making it suitable for aquaculture. As a result of the country’s efforts, fish production in Bihar has increased by over 40 per cent in just four years, from 600,000 tonnes in 2018-19 to 850,000 tonnes in 2022-23. Increased production has been able to meet the state’s demand for fish, making it nearly “self-sufficient” and reducing supplies from other states.
But success comes with its challenges, and Bihar faces a major challenge: lack of quality fish species. Despite being India’s fourth largest inland fish producer, the country produces less than 1% of its fish species and is heavily dependent on other states for supplies. The Department of Animal and Fisheries Resources (DAFR), Government of Bihar has taken an initiative to address this challenge.
The government is developing improved fish stocks by building linkages between local hatcheries, small nurseries and fishermen in Bihar with private hatcheries abroad and government agencies such as the National Fisheries Development Board in Bhubaneswar. Tackled the lack of seed supply.
high quality seeds
This collaboration has enabled the stocking of high quality seeds of improved fish species such as Jayanti Lof, improved Catla and Yellowfin into government-supported ponds.
This has ensured a steady supply of high-quality fish seedlings to local farmers, increased pond productivity by 30%, and enabled fishers to increase their income by 25%.
Additionally, fish mortality was reduced by 10 percent and growth rate increased by more than 25 percent compared to traditional breeds bred in Bihar.
This has increased food security by giving more families access to nutritious fish.
Apart from imports, the government also worked to promote production of quality seeds in Bihar to meet the growing demand in Bihar.
We selected a local hatchery to serve as a broodstock bank for genetically improved fish species, evaluated its facilities, made any necessary modifications, and provided fry to grow the stock.
This ensures self-sufficient access to high-quality seeds, reduces dependence on other countries, and creates economic opportunities for local communities.
Additionally, to keep the ecosystem sustainable, the government organizes workshops and on-the-job training to teach fishermen advanced techniques. This will enable local communities to adopt modern aquaculture methods and build a resilient fishing sector.
A delegation of DAFR senior officials visited Malaysia and Vietnam to learn about advanced aquaculture practices.
The visit enabled the delegation to observe sustainable aquaculture practices in these countries and explore international cooperation to increase the productivity and export potential of Bihar’s aquaculture .
Mr. Vijaya Lakshmi is Principal Secretary, Department of Animal and Fisheries Resources, Mr. Padiyal is the Director of WorldFish in India, and Mr. Bhusan is an Associate Partner at MSC.
