On the occasion of World Fisheries Day on November 21, 2021, Balasore district in Odisha received India’s “Best Marine District” award.

Key Points

• Award ceremony was organised by ministry of fisheries, animal husbandry & dairying.
• Award was handed over by Union minister for fisheries, animal husbandry & dairying, Parshottam Rupala to director of fisheries of Odisha government, Smruti Ranjan Pradhan.

Fisheries sector in Odisha

In India, Odisha is the fourth largest fish producing state. During 2020-21, it produced 8.73 lakh metric tonnes of fish, contributing around 2.33 per cent to the state economy. In Odisha, fisheries sector has grown at an average annual rate of 13 percent in last five years.

Fish demand in Odisha

There is a huge demand for fish in Odisha. Around 94 per cent of the 45 million population in the state consume fish. Apart from this, there is huge demand of fishery products from Odisha in international markets like Europe, USA, China, Japan, Middle Eastern countries and ASEAN countries. The seafood exports from Odisha have increased by 9 times in last 20 years and has reached to Rs 3,108 crores. The export had the volume of 61,000 tonnes during 2020-21.

India’s fisheries sector

India has target to achieve Rs 1 lakh crore revenue from fisheries sector including marine products. India aims to produce 22 million metric tonnes of fish by 2024-25.

World Fisheries Day

World Fisheries Day is celebrated on November 21 every year to recognise the contributions of fisher folks, fish farmers, and people involved in fishery trade worldwide.