Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Sept 8: Minister of Animal Husbandry and Fisheries, Sajjad Gani Lone today ordered to connect all fishery farms and angling spots of the department through Close Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras and broadcast the feed live on internet for round the clock viewing.
The Minister while chairing a review meeting of the Fisheries Department here expressed his anguish over the low trout yield. “In the 30 years we have just reached 90 tonnes and most of our 400 Government and private trout farms are not producing enough,” the Minister said. “All this needs to change and we need to put in our efforts and scientific thinking to raise the yield to a minimum of 1000 tonnes. And the second step should be to increase it to around 6000 tonnes.”
While discussing the problems plaguing fish production, the Minister issued on the spot direction. “For stopping pilferage in our farms and poaching of fish, install CCTVs in all farms and angling spots. I have already talked to a telecom operator who is willing to connect all of these cameras and put the live feed on internet. This way we will have round the clock monitoring and check any illegal activity going on anywhere,” the Minister said. “Angling is a huge business and we are exploring to start fishing trails in joint collaboration with the tourism department,” he added.
Regarding complaints of sub-standard fish feed being provided to the private farms, the Minister ordered to change the vendor who supplies the requisite raw material.
While stressing on the role of increasing private participation in fisheries production and marketing, the Minister said that Government role should be limited to regulate the sector only.
The Minister also ordered the closure of all such farms which are defunct. “Many private farms are also not doing their work efficiently. Our subsidy is not acting as a catalyst, so let us give subsidy to only deserving farms and let the others grow in competitive market. Denmark is planning to double its yield from 30,000 tonnes to 60,000 tonnes in a single year and we are not even achieving 100 tonne yield,” the Minister said, adding that Fisheries Department needs to step up efforts to significantly increase the yield.
The meeting was attended by Abdul Majid Paddar, MoS Animal Husbandry and Fisheries, Secretary Animal Husbandry/Fisheries Satish Nehru, Director Fisheries R K Dogra and other officers.
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