Breeders and Growers (a team of Young Entrepreneurs functioning in the Business of Shrimp Farming and Seafood Trade of India based at Mumbai) wish all Fish Farmers, Seafood Professionals, Aquapreneurs, Fish Entrepreneurs, Researchers of the country a Very Happy ‘National Fish Farmers Day’.
When the whole country was grappling with food and protein shortage at the end of World War II, fish culture activities got a fillip in India and the trade in fish seed expanded. An important development during that time was the establishment of Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute (CIFRI) at Barrackpore in 1947 by the government of India, where fisheries officers from different states were trained which was known as Inland Fisheries Training Centre and now as CIFE Kolkata Centre. With this establishment, several small ponds around Howrah constituted a network of nurseries that turned to be the centres of supply chain of fry and systematic marketing became possible with the establishment of Fish Seed Syndicate. But the ‘Blue Revolution’ in India started with the development of seed production technology through induced breeding (Hypophysation) by Prof. Dr. Hiralal Chaudhuri under the guidance of Dr. K.H. Alikunhi as Head at the erstwhile ‘Pond Culture Division’ of CIFRI at Cuttack, Odisha (presently Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture, CIFA, Bhubaneswar) during late fifties. The major carp culture sector owes its present flourishing status to Prof. Chaudhuri, who ushered in the system of ‘Induced Breeding of major carps’ through administration of carp pituitary extract in the breeding of major carps and also standardised the system.
It was on July 10, 1957, the first success in induced breeding was achieved at Angul in Odisha by Dr. Chaudhuri with the support from Dr. Alikunhi. The spawn that was produced out of this experiment was successfully raised into fry and later into fingerling. This pioneering work over years has led to aqua-explosion in the country principally through quality major carp seed production and supplies to fish farmers for culture from hundreds of hatcheries that sprang in the country based on induced breeding technology. In order to commensurate this day on which such a momentous breakthrough that dramatically transformed the fish cultural sector in India, the Government of India in 2001 declared 10th July as ‘National Fish Farmers’ Day’. The Central Institute Fisheries Education (CIFE), Mumbai, the premier fisheries education institution in India, was the first to celebrate the Fish Farmers’ Day on July 10, 2001. Since then, all fisheries research, education and extension institutes have been observing this historic day with great enthusiasm.
Facts of Fisheries and Aquaculture: India and Globe
– India’s Seafood Export touched to US$ 7.08 billion (Rs 45,106.89 crore) for the First Time during Financial Year of 2017-18. This is the New Record in Seafood Export Performance of India.
– Rank of India among Global Seafood Exporters in 2016: 06 (US $5546 million, contributed 3.9 percent to the World Total of Seafood Exports)
– India is on second rank in Global Inland Capture Production in 2016 (14,62,063 Tonnes Production Estimate as per FAO)
– Total global fish production in 2016: 171 million tonnes
1. Share of that from marine capture fisheries: 79.3 million tonnes
2. From freshwater capture fisheries: 11.6 million tonnes
3. From aquaculture: 80 million tonnes
– Amount of production consumed by humans as food globally (2016): 151.2 million tonnes
– Amount of production lost to spoilage a/o thrown away after landing and prior to consumption: 27 percent of all landings (2016)
– First-sale value of all fisheries and aquaculture production in 2016: US $362 billion
1. Share of that from aquaculture: US $232 billion
– Number of people employed in fisheries and aquaculture (2016): 59.6 million
1. Percentage of those who are women: 14 percent
2. Region with the most fishers and fish farmers: Asia (85 percent of the total)
– Number of fishing vessels on the planet (2016): 4.6 million
1. Largest fleet by region: Asia (3.3 million vessels, or 75 percent of the global fleet)
– Percent of global fish production that enters international trade (2016): 35 percent
– Value of fish production exports (2016): US $143 billion
– Net export revenues for developing countries (US $37 billion) exceeds revenues from their exports of meat, tobacco, rice and sugar combined (2016)
– World’s largest fish producer and exporter (2016): China
– World’s largest consumer market of fish and fish products (2016): 1. The European Union. 2. The United States 3. Japan
– Most unsustainable fisheries (2016): Mediterranean and Black Sea (62.2 percent overfished stocks), the Southeast Pacific (61.5 percent), Southwest Atlantic (58.8 percent)
– Most sustainable fisheries (2016): Eastern Central, Western Central, NE, NW and Southwest Pacific (all <17 percent of overfished stocks)
– In per capita terms, Food Fish Consumption globally stands at 20.2 kg in 2015 and preliminary estimates for 2016 and 2017 point to further growth to about 20.3 and 20.5 kg respectively.
– In 2015, fish accounted for about 17 percent of an animal protein consumed by global population.
– Fish provided about 3.2 billion people with almost 20 percent of their average per capita intake of animal protein.
– The highest per capita fish consumption, over 50 kg, is found in several small island developing states (SIDS) particularly in Oceania.
– Fish on Rank 1 in Global Marine Capture Fish Production in 2016: Alaska pollock (34,76,149 tonnes) (where as Anchoveta and Skipjack Tuna were in 2nd and 3rd rank respectively).
– Major Species in World Aquaculture Production Wise (Finfish)(2016)
1. Grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) (11 percent contribution to the Finfish Total)
2. Silver carp (Hypopthalmichthys molitrix) (10 percent contribution to the Finfish Total)
3. Common carp (Cyprinus carpio) (08 percent contribution to the Finfish Total)
4. Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) (08 percent contribution to the Finfish Total)
5. Bighead carp (Hypopthalmichthys nobilis) (07 percent contribution to the Finfish Total)
– Major Species in World Aquaculture Production Wise (Crustaceans)(2016): Whiteleg shrimp (Penaeus vannamei) (53 percent contribution to the Crustaceans Total)
