Fisheries

In Uttarakhand, Fisheries and aquaculture not only provide food, income, and livelihood but also fulfill the nutritional security needs of the people. The Department of Fisheries is making concerted efforts by formulating and implementing a variety of schemes for the development of the sector. This has created an enabled environment in the state attracting a large number of farmers, unemployed youths, and entrepreneurs to adopt fisheries as a source of income generation. The Department also provides effective and seamless backward and forward support to the farmers by plugging the gaps in the supply chain in terms of the availability of inputs and linkage with the market.

Further to empower fishers and fish farmers at the panchayat level, the state has been focusing on the formation of primary fisheries co-operative societies. To date, 95 societies are been working in the sector. For effective management and smooth operations of the cooperative societies, two apex organizations namely; Trout Farming, Vipanan Evam Prabhandhan Mahasangh Ltd. and Zila Sehkari Matsya Vikas Evam Vipanan Federation Ltd. formed under the aegis of the Department of Fisheries. The former looks into the development of the trout societies while later fisheries societies in plain areas of the state.

To strengthen the fisheries cooperative societies, the capital investment and working capital is being arranged through the NCDC, Govt. of India. Currently, 46 primary fisheries societies are availing benefits and further, it is aimed to cover 150 cooperatives. It is estimated that this intervention will provide direct and indirect benefits to approximately 13000 people associated with the sector in the state.

Zila Sehkari Matsya Vikas Evam Vipdan Federation Ltd

Zila Federation is primarily working for the growth of aqua farming in the Plain region of the state that includes districts Haridwar and Udham Singh Nagar. Major activities carried out through the federation include:

• Developing village society ponds as per actual records and making them pollution-free to maximize fish production.
• Promoting various farming like composite, Pangasius, and Integrated fish farming.
• Providing quality fish seed & feed to fish co-operatives to ensure better quality produce.
• To develop 125 hectares of water area for aqua farming.
• Developing market linkage & brand for the sale of produce of our fisheries cooperatives.

Trout Farming Vipadan Evam Prabandhan Sehkari Mahasangh Ltd

Trout Mahasangh is primarily working for the growth of aqua farming in the Hilly region of the state that includes districts Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Bageshwar, Tehri, Dehradun, and Pithoragarh. Major activities carried out through Mahasangh include

• Developing trout fish farming especially Rainbow trout through the construction of trout raceways to maximize trout production.
• Presently Mahasangh is working with 25 clusters and planning to develop 50 trout clusters in these districts to improve the socio-economic status of primary societies.
• Providing quality trout seed & feed to fish co-operatives to ensure better quality produce.
• Mahasangh is also working to develop better backward and forward linkage for trout farming that includes transportation, cold chain system, and marketing.
• Developing fish outlets for better marketing linkage & sale of trout.