Agriculture
5th Aqua Aquaria India 2019
- 31 Aug 2019
- 2 min read
Recently, the Vice President of India inaugurated the 5th Aqua Aquaria India, 2019 in Hyderabad, Telangana.
- The theme for the 2019 edition is “To take Blue Revolution to India's hinterland”.
- It is the largest aquaculture exhibition in India.
- It is a biennial exhibition organised by the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA).
Fisheries Sector in India
- India is the second-largest fish producer in the world.
- Fish constituted about 10% of total exports from India and almost 20% of agriculture exports in 2017-18.
- India is the 4th largest exporter of fish in the world.
- Contribution of fisheries to the GDP is about 1% and about 5.37% to the Agricultural GDP.
- Thus, India has the potential to emerge as a leading Blue Economy in the world. Notified existing potentials in the Fisheries sector are:
- Shrimp Culture: Recently, the government has permitted the regulated introduction of Pacific White Shrimp with the objective of utilizing the potential of the species to cater to the global markets.
- Cage Culture: It involves the growing of fish in existing water resources while being enclosed in a net cage which allows free flow of water.
- Pen Culture: It is the system of culturing fish within a fixed net enclosure either at the bank or in a water body
Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA)
- Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) is a nodal coordinating, state-owned agency engaged in fishery production and allied activities.
- It was established in 1972 under the Marine Products Export Development Authority Act (MPEDA), 1972.
- It functions under the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
- It is headquartered in Kochi, Kerala.
- Its mandate is to increase exports of seafood including fisheries of all kinds, specifying standards, marketing, processing, extension and training in various aspects.
