Assam wins best state award in fisheries sector

November 18, 2020

On November 18, 2020, Assam won four awards in fisheries sector from the National Fisheries Development Board operating under the Ministry of Fisheries.

What are the four awards won by Assam in Fisheries sector?

Assam received the best state award under the category of best hilly and North Eastern State in Fisheries. Also, the Assam Apex Cooperative Fish Marketing and Processing Federation Limited (FISHED) won the first place in the category of hilly and North Eastern Government Organization. The Nagaon district of Assam was selected the best hilly and North Eastern district category. Amal Medhi, a farmer from Nalbari district of Assam won first place under the category of hilly and North Eastern fish farmer category.

What were the other fisheries awards received?

The following were the other awards received

Odisha bagged the best state in marine state category
Uttar Pradesh won the best state award in Inland State category

All the awards carry Rs 10 lakh prize money, a shawl, a certificate and a momento.

Why are the Fisheries Awards important?

The awards are a great boost to fisheries sector, especially during the COVID-19 times. In 2019, India exported Rs 47,000 crores of fisheries. India is the second largest producer of fish in the world. Therefore, fisheries has a high contribution to the Indian Economy. It is thus, important to focus on fisheries to boost declining economic growth due to COVID-19 pandemic.

What are future goals of India in fisheries sector?

India has plans to increase its fisheries exports by 50% in next five years. In value, it aims to achieve Rs 1 lakh crore of exports in next five years.