Thaindian News

Shillong, Nov 11 (IANS) Israeli experts will help Meghalaya to improve fish farming in the northeastern state, Chief Minister Mukul Sangma has said.

Launching an awareness campaign about a state aquaculture mission, Sangma said late Thursday: “Experts from Israel have been invited to study and suggest measures to further improve fish farming by adopting modern techniques of fish culture.”

The objective of the programme is to create awareness among people about the aquaculture mission, the flagship programme of the state government proposed to be launched in April 1 next year.

The campaign is aimed at encouraging people to take up fish farming as one of the prospective employment opportunities besides contributing towards the economy of the state and also improve their livelihood.

Initially, the campaign will be held in Selsella, about 400 km from Shillong, before being held in other parts of the state wherein interested fish farmers will be enrolled so that they can avail the schemes meant for promoting aquaculture.

Sangma said the mission envisages investment in the fishery sector and addresses the problems of poverty, unemployment and underemployment in the hill state.

Traditionally, fish rearing has been virtually non-existent, but in the recent years, people have started undertaking fish farming as an alternative means of livelihood.

“The sector requires serious investments for it to make any significant impact on the livelihoods,” said K.N. Kumar, commissioner and secretary of fisheries.

“Fisheries is taken up in Meghalaya mostly as a secondary activity and the time has come for us to bring the sector to centre stage,” Kumar said.