Bhubaneswar: In order to boost production and export of fish, the Odisha government plans to set up an animal and fishery science university.
Minister of Fisheries and Animal Resources Development Gokulananda Mallik said this at an event, organised on the occasion of World Fisheries Day in Bhubaneswar on Thursday.
The minister said though the state produces 11.24 lakh tonne of fish annually, it has to procure 33,000 tonnes of fish from other states. The per capita fish consumption in Odisha is 18 kg which is very less compared to other fish producing states, he added.
“With an annual export of 2.92 lakh tonne of fish and 84,000 tonne of processed seafood, Odisha is the fourth largest fish producer in the country. Our government aims at not only increasing fish consumption but also making the state the highest producer,” Mallik said.
Stating that the government has set a target to export freshwater fish to abroad in next five years, he said a university on the fishery sector would go a long way in achieving the target. The F&ARD Department has already submitted a proposal to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi in this regard for his approval.
The minister the government would also set up an aqua park in Sambalpur with a cost of Rs 100 crore. It would come up on around 100 acre of land at Basantpur in Sambalpur, he added.