Know Everything about the Blue Revolution Scheme to Boost Fish Production

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Understanding the Need for a Blue Revolution
• Objective of the Blue Revolution Scheme
• Achievements of the Blue Revolution
• Benefits and Impact of the Blue Revolution
• Conclusion

Introduction

Blue Revolution (Neel Kranti Mission) aims to boost fish production and help the fisheries sector grow. The goal is to tackle issues in the fisheries industry and speed up the adoption of sustainable ways of farming fish.

Understanding the Need for a Blue Revolution

India, with its long coastline and many lakes and rivers, has a great opportunity to produce a lot of fish. But, for a long time, the fishing industry had some problems:

• Not enough fish: The old ways of fishing couldn't catch enough fish to meet the growing demand.
• Losing resources: Too much fishing and not doing it in a sustainable way were hurting fish populations and the environment.
• Not enough facilities: There wasn't good enough infrastructure and systems to handle and sell the fish after they were caught.

These challenges led to several government schemes to promote fish farming in India. The Blue Revolution came about to deal with these problems. It wants to make the fishing industry more modern and effective, making sure it can keep going and provide more support to the economy and food needs.

Objectives of the Blue Revolution Scheme

• Boosting fish production and productivity: The goal is to produce more fish in the country because people want more of it for good protein. They want to do this by answering questions regarding how to start a profitable fish farming business, taking care of where they grow up (hatcheries), and using modern ways of farming fish.
• Improving fishing infrastructure: The Blue Revolution scheme understands how important it is to have strong fishing facilities. It wants to build and make better places like fishing harbours, landing centres, fish seed farms, fish feed mills, processing units and cold storage. This will help make the whole process of fishing and selling fish work well together.
• Promoting sustainable practices: The mission wants to make sure that fish farming is done in a way that keeps the environment and ecosystems in balance. It suggests using the best ways to manage things, using good quality materials, and taking care of diseases to stop natural resources from getting worse and to keep fish farming going strong for a long time.
• Supporting fishermen and fish farmers: The Blue Revolution scheme n wants to help fishermen and fish farmers by giving them the skills they need to make their lives better. It concentrates on teaching and helping them get better at their work. It also suggests that they form groups and work together to have more power when bargaining, getting loans and getting information about the market.

Achievements of the Blue Revolution

• Fisheries and aquaculture production make up about 1% of the Indian GDP and more than 5% of the agricultural GDP.
• The total fish production in 2021-22 was 13.89 million metric tons, making India the second-largest fish-producing nation. The fish production was valued at INR 1,16,407 crores.
• More than 14 million individuals are employed in fisheries and aquaculture sectors. They involve traders, processors, fish farmers and fishers.
• The export of marine products stood at INR 46,662 crores with a volume of 12,89,651 metric tons. These products were exported to over 100 countries.
• India achieved an average yearly growth of 14.8% in the production of fish and related products, surpassing the global average of 7.5%.

Benefits and Impact of the Blue Revolution

The Blue Revolution scheme has really helped fish production grow in India and has given many advantages to the fishing industry:

• Increased fish production: The scheme has been crucial in boosting fish production, both in inland and marine fisheries. It encouraged the use of better ways to manage things, increased the production of fish seed, and helped develop commercial fish farming.
• Employment generation: The Blue Revolution scheme has generated substantial job opportunities, especially in rural regions. The expansion of the fisheries sector has created chances for both direct and indirect employment in activities like fishing, fish farming, processing and trade.
• Income enhancement: The scheme has empowered fisherfolk and fish farmers by improving their productivity and offering better market opportunities. As a result, people involved in fishing have seen their incomes go up, leading to better lives.
• Entrepreneurship development: The Blue Revolution scheme has supported people starting their own businesses in fishing. It helped set up places where fish could be processed, stored in cold storage and turned into more valuable products. This has given opportunities to small-scale entrepreneurs and helped the whole fishing industry grow.

Conclusion

The Blue Revolution scheme has been crucial in increasing fish production and changing the fishing industry in India. By dealing with the industry's challenges and encouraging sustainable fish farming, the scheme has led to substantial growth. It has created jobs and made life better for millions working in the fishing industry.

With ongoing attention and support, the Blue Revolution scheme can enhance fish production in India and help the country's economy grow.