Fishing is one of the fastest growing sectors among the primary production sectors. The sector plays a vital role in the country’s economic and overall development, also referred to as the ‘sunrise sector’, is poised to deliver huge potential through equitable and inclusive growth. The industry is recognized as a powerful engine for providing employment to 14.5 million people and sustaining livelihoods for 28 million fishing communities in the country. The industry is therefore calling on young entrepreneurs in the country to come forward and offer solutions and solve problems on the ground through technological interventions and innovative solutions.
To support this, the Cabinet under the leadership of the Hon’ble Prime Minister came up with the ‘Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY)’ to bring about a ‘Blue Revolution’ through sustainable and responsible development of the fisheries sector in India. The scheme aims to increase fish production to 220 lakh metric tonnes by 2024-25 at an average annual growth rate of about 9%. The ambitious scheme also aims to double export earnings to Rs 1,00,000 crore and create around 55 million direct and indirect employment opportunities in the fisheries sector over the next five years.
Recognizing the potential of the fisheries sector, the Technology Development Council is a statutory body of the Ministry of Science and Technology, Government. of India is supporting M/s Fountainhead Agro Farms Private Limited, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra for an “advanced, intensive, all-male tilapia aquaculture project with Israeli technology”. The Board signed a mutual agreement to provide credit assistance of Rs. 8.42 crores out of the total project cost of Rs. 29.78 million crowns to the company.
“Tilapia” has become one of the most productive and internationally traded food fish in the world. Tilapia culture has become commercially popular in many parts of the world, and fisheries experts have dubbed tilapia as “water chicken” due to its rapid growth and easy cultivation. Today, if any fish could be named as a global fish, it cannot think of a better name than Tilapia.
In order to facilitate Tilapia cultivation in India in a responsible manner, M/s Fountainhead Agro Farms Private Limited envisages setting up a complete production line (from breeding to whole fish) at Mudhol (Karnataka). The company aims to produce 500 tons of tilapia, which is to be bred from the imported stock breeder “Hermon” from Nir David Fish Breeding Farm, Israel. Hermon is a hybrid of two selected strains of Tilapia namely Oreochromis Niloticus (male) and Oreochromis Aureus (female) and is known for its special characteristics such as high growth rate; resistance to low temperatures; light (attractive) color; all hybrid offspring of only male offspring, without the conventional system of using hormones.
The company has adopted advanced Israeli technology from Aquaculture Production Technology Limited (APTIL), Israel (under a technology service agreement signed in October 2020) for closed loop agriculture sites for the dry zone with seasonal water supply from rivers that can be replicated. throughout India in several dry inland localities with reasonable water resources. To suit the Indian conditions, the complete engineering of the facility is tuned as per the requirements of the site conditions like land availability, water availability, weather conditions, availability of surrounding resources, soil conditions, topography.
Sh. Rajesh Kumar Pathak, IP&TAFS, Secretary, TDB said that “Govt. India has given special attention to the fisheries sector to economically uplift India’s fishing community through a “blue revolution”. This industry has huge potential for export, especially “Tilapia Fish” due to its huge demand in the global market. Also, the imported technology which is “one of its kind” will be a great addition to the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), Hon’ble PM’s ambitious plan to double export earnings to Rs 1,00,000 crore. from the fishing industry.
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