Fish Festival Hyderabd 9/7/2010

INDIAN FISH FESTIVAL-2010’ (INFISH) ON 9TH JULY2010 AT HYDERABAD
SPEECH OF PROF. K.V. THOMAS , HON’BLE MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE, CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION, GOVT. OF INDIA

Good evening and welcome to all of you for Indian Fish Festival-2010.


Respected Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri Rosaiah ji, Shri K. Pardha Saradhi, Minister of Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development, Fisheries, Govt. of Andhra Pradesh, Shri Nitin Raut, Hon’ble Minister for Animal Husbandry Dairy & Fisheries, Govt. of Maharashtra, Shri Danam Nagender, Hon’ble Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Govt. Andhra Pradesh, Smt. B. Karthika Chandra Reddy, Hon’ble Mayor, GHMC, Hyderabad, My colleague in Parliament Shri Anjan Kumar Yadav, Senior Officers from the Ministry, MPEDA, ICAR, NABARD, Department of Fisheries, Andhra Pradesh and my dear fishermen, farmers, members from media, ladies and gentlemen.

It’s a great privilege to be amidst to all of you to participate and celebrate the Indian Fish Festival-2010. The overwhelming response received from the various fisheries stakeholders and the general public during last year has enthused us to repeat this festival for the second time in Hyderabad. I wish to place on record my thanks and gratitude to the Government of Andhra Pradesh for supporting this activity in a big way. As you all are aware the fish festivals of this kind are being organized all over the country with the objective of promoting fisheries development activities by introducing a professional approach to bring new concepts and new technologies to enhance the fish productivity and production, we intend to create greater employment opportunities, empowerment of women and nutritional and food security.
I hope these festivals would promote consumption and value addition of fish by building awareness about health benefits of fish amongst the esteemed consumers.

Infish-2010 is organized for four days from 9-12 July 2010 to showcase various technological advancements and achievements by various National Research Organizations/ Institutions, a pavilion for exhibiting attractive and colorful ornamental fishes and a large number of food courts for preparation and display various kinds of ready to eat and ready to cook fish products.

A technical seminar on aquarium fishes, culture of murrels along with stakeholders meeting of hoteliers is also well thought of. A major attraction is fish recipe competition for women and live recipe demonstration by reputed Chef’s of well known hotels.

I wish this festival would satisfy the palate of large number of consumers in tasting various kinds of fish products besides producing a handbook on Fish recipes in addition to awareness building on fisheries and aquaculture technological advancements.

In this regard, I am happy to inform you that the NFDB which is established at Hyderabad for promoting fisheries and aquaculture in the country through professional management has started working with full strength from 2006 onwards.

I wish to mention that so far NFDB has been given an amount of Rs. 226.9 crores and this year we have allocated a budget of Rs. 92.30 crores. They have utilized an amount of Rs.220.00 crores so far with the following major achievements.

1. Under intensive aquaculture in ponds and tanks, about 6500 hectares of area has been developed for fish culture, 40 fish seed hatcheries were established, and renovated with an amount of Rs. 52.91 crores. It is proposed to bring in an additional 2000 ha under intensive aquaculture during this year.

2. Under reservoir development, 1985 reservoirs covering an area of 11.00 lakh hectares were stocked with 57.10 crores of fish fingerlings with an amount of Rs. 73.94 crores. The reservoir fish production which was hardly 20-25kg/ha has increased to about 50- 75kg/ha during the last 3 years of implementation of this programme.


3. Rs.1.77 crores was provided as subsidy to entrepreneurs to establish 396 ornamental fish units, 10 aquarium fabrication units and 3 integrated ornamental units. For promoting this activity a budget of Rs. 1.86 crores is ear marked for this year.


4. For establishing an aquatic animal health quarantine facility at Nelankari, Chennai, to demonstrate the techno economic viability of sea bass culture in field and to train 4640 farmers in coastal aquaculture Rs. 7.00 crores were provided as assistance.
5. To demonstrate the techno economic viability of sea cage farming, NFDB extended a financial assistance of Rs. 1.20 crores to CMFRI, Kochi.

6. NFDB provided an assistance of Rs. 2.05 crores to NIFPHATT, Cochin for setting up of common facility centre for export processing of Sashimi grade tuna at Vizag and to conduct training for fishermen in deep sea fishing.

7. Rs. 27.39 crores has been provided as grant towards modernization of 6 fishing harbours in the country, to establish IQF machinery at Sasoondock, Mumbai.

8. Rs. 22.30 crores has been provided towards modernization of 23 whole sale fish markets, 21 retail markets, 58 fish drying platforms, 5 fish dressing centres and to train 935 fish handlers and traders on hygienic handling of fish and value addition.
During this year, I have requested NFDB to focus on enhancing fish production in the reservoirs as well as farmers ponds. The NFDB is currently focusing on this strategy so that the targeted production of 10 million tons can be achieved shortly. A major focus that the department desires is promotion of ornamental fishes. The Government of Kerala has established a PPP model company to promote ornamental fisheries and to develop an export hub. I appeal to the government of Andhra Pradesh also to focus attention on this model.

While I am happy that, conducting the fish festival at Hyderabad for the second time is indeed commendable, the NFDB may consider taking up such festivals in Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai, New Delhi and other major cities during the course of the year. I request the processing industry and the entrepreneurs to focus the attention on promotion of value added products so as to promote more consumption of fish in the country.

I wish the farmers, the ornamental fish producers, scientists and public in general all the best and wish this programme all the success.

I request the press and the electronic media to communicate the message and encourage participation of large number of people to see and enjoy the opportunities developed in the venue.


I wish the exhibition all the best and congratulate the leaders of NFDB in launching this laudable initiative.

Thanking You
JAI HIND