Minister attends National Fisheries Development Board meeting

GANGTOK, (IPR): The 8th governing body meeting of National Fisheries Development Board was convened through video conference today.
State Fisheries minister L.N. Sharma joined the meeting from NIC, Tashiling along with SSFS director N. Jaswant and additional director C. S. Rai.
The video conference was chaired by NFDB chairman and Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying Girija Singh.
Minister Sharma, in his address, expressed his gratitude to NFDB for supporting the Directorate of Fisheries in organising the inaugural Fish Mela on April 20 and 21 in Gangtok, which was the first-of-its-kind in Sikkim. He informed that the Fish Mela was a success with the participation of over 40 fish farmers, fishermen and six fish feed production, medicines and equipment entrepreneurs.
Sharma informed that Sikkim has a vision to increase cold water fish production, thereby making the State self-sufficient by 2025 with the support from Central government through PMMSY. The State also plans for effective conservation and protection of 38 indigenous local fishes, found in the lakes, rivers and dams of Sikkim.
The minister put forth his request to the NFDB to establish an office with technical expertise in Sikkim to support Directorate of Fisheries, continuously. He also requested NFDB to send an expert team to the State for enumeration of indigenous fishes in natural water bodies for better planning of conservation.
Concluding his address, Sharma mentioned that improved varieties of trout and carp fishes are necessary to introduce to the farmers for high intensity culturing and shortening of the production cycle, for which he requested support from NFDB in introducing improved varieties of fishes. He also requested NFDB to depute experts to the State as consultants for drafting the action plan for five years as per the actual field conditions of the State.
The minister informed that Directorate of Fisheries, Government of Sikkim has submitted project plan to Government of India, which includes Mini Aqua Park, while the proposal for Fish Eco-Tourism Village and Organic Aqua Culture are in its phase of submission.