Fishing of Haryana | HPSC Preparation: All subjects - HPSC (Haryana) PDF Download

Introduction

• Introduction: Haryana has emerged as one of the most prosperous states in India since its formation in 1966.
• Water Resources: The state has abundant water resources, including rivers, canals, drains, lakes, reservoirs, micro-watersheds, and village ponds, which provide an opportunity for the promotion of fisheries.
• Challenges: However, the lack of a traditional fishing community and a mostly vegetarian population has made fish culture in Haryana challenging.
• Fish Stocking Plan: To address this challenge, the government has proposed stocking 7600 lakh fish seed in 19000 hectares of water area to produce 142800 tonnes of fish during the year 2016-17.
• Assistance to Families: The government has also planned to provide technical and financial assistance to 30000 families in the fisheries sector and benefit 1000 Scheduled Caste Families under the 20-Point Programme during the year 2016-17.

Highlights of GOVT of Haryana Effort for Fisheries

• Haryana is the leading state in inland fish productivity per hectare per year. The current data is 7200 kg/hectare/year and is expected to increase to 10000 kg/hectare/year by the end of 2017-18.
• The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has declared Haryana a disease-free state in fish culture.
• The department has increased the subsidy from 20% to 60% under the Central Sector Scheme on Blue Revolution for the excavation, renovation, and inputs of ponds, as well as for the development of waterlogged and saline-affected areas.
• Haryana is the first landlocked state in the country to use inland underground saline water for the culture of white shrimp, Letopeneus vannamei.
• The department will establish a hi-tech and ultra-modern ornamental fish hatchery in Jhajjar with a cost of 13.68 crore, which is the only project in North India approved by the government.
• The department will establish 16 units of recirculatory aquaculture system (RAS) in Haryana with a cost of 50 lakh each, and the department will provide a 50% subsidy on each unit. It is expected to produce 40 tons of fish per acre, which will double the income of the fish farmers.
• The department will bring 400 hectares of saline-affected wasteland under white shrimp culture during the year 2017-18. Under SLSC, the RKVY project was approved with a budget amounting to Rs. 51.10 crore, and there is a provision of 50% subsidy to shrimp farmers.
• The department proposes to develop about 16000 acres of waterlogged areas in the Jhajjar and Charkhi Dadri districts for fish culture. This will be a source of income for the farmers whose land was destroyed and turned into waterlogging areas due to lift irrigation.

Development of Fisheries in Haryana

• The fisheries sector is not a major contributor to the national economy, but it has potential to generate income and employment, stimulate growth of subsidiary industries, and provide low-cost animal protein to people, especially the economically weaker sections.
• The complexity of the fisheries sector arises from the interaction between nature, men, and technology.
• Fish culture has been practiced in many states of India for a long time, but compared to other sectors, it is relatively complex.
• The state of Haryana has made significant progress in fish farming, despite the complexity of the sector and the limited water resources in the state.
• Haryana is the second highest state in the average annual fish production per unit area, with an average of 7,000 kg per hectare compared to the national average of 2,900 kg.
• Haryana has achieved self-sufficiency in seed production of Indian Major Carp and Common Carp.
• The total water area under fish farming in Haryana has increased from 58 hectares in 1966 to an unknown amount in 2016.
• The Haryana farmers have evolved a new technique in fish marketing by harvesting the fish at a certain weight and carrying them alive to Delhi Fish market to get higher prices.
• The Haryana Department of Fisheries aims to bring all available water bodies under fish culture and create a class of fish farmers through training and providing technical and financial assistance. Over 80% of village ponds in Haryana have been brought under fish farming.

The main objectives and activities of the Fisheries Department are as under:

• To preserve and safeguard the natural fisheries in rivers, canals, drains, and other water bodies.
• To make use of the existing village ponds and tanks for the purpose of fish farming.
• To offer financial and technical support to fish farmers through Fish Farmers Development Agencies.
• To establish a group of well-trained fish farmers within the state.
• To enhance the production of superior quality fish seeds for all types of fish.
• To use unutilized waste agricultural land for the purpose of fish farming.
• To create more job opportunities in rural areas.

Fish Marketing

• Fish farming has increased significantly in Haryana in recent years.
• Over 80% of the village ponds in the state are being used for fish farming, generating over Rs. 125 crores annually for the Village Panchayats.
• In addition to village ponds, more than 2,500 pond units have been constructed by fish farmers on their own land.
• The average fish productivity in Haryana is 7000 Kg per hectare, which is higher than the national average of 2,900 Kg. Haryana ranks second in the country in per hectare fish production.
• Fish farmers have to send their produce to neighboring states and Delhi for sale, incurring extra expenses on packing and forwarding, as internal fish marketing infrastructure is not adequate.
• To provide marketing support to fish producers, the department has established three fish markets at Faridabad, Panipat, and Yamuna Nagar, supervised by the Haryana State Agriculture Marketing Board.
• These markets provide vehicles to fish farmers for transportation of their produce at concessional rates.
• To further strengthen the marketing infrastructure, two new fish markets will be established at Badhurgarh and Gurgaon.

Agriculture Human Resources Development Programme

• Human Resources Development (HRD) is crucial for the sustainable utilization of fisheries resources.
• The Aquaculture Research & Training Institute (ARTI) was established in Hisar under the World Bank Project to address the importance of HRD.
• HRD is even more important in Haryana, as the state practices nontraditional fish farming and has taken steps to utilize available water resources.
• The state's training program aims to increase the efficiency of departmental officers, officials, and fish farmers through in-service training, refresher courses, and study tours.
• The scheme includes plans for education, training, and extension, as well as the utilization of saline groundwater.
• A Fish Farmer Day is celebrated at the state level every year to ensure the participation of fish farmers from all districts.
• The training institute targets to provide training to 2,472 departmental officers, officials, and fish farmers annually.
• The institute also proposes research programs for fish biotechnology and biodiversity.
• District offices provide 10-day training for fish farmers, and a training stipend is paid as per government rates.
• The Aquaculture Research and Training Institute in Hisar provides five-day refresher courses and other different trainings with a paid training stipend.
• The training program organizes different study tours for fish farmers, fishermen, and department employees/officers to make the training programs more practical.