Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying launches the National Surveillance Programme on Fish Diseases - Phase-II and Genetic Improvement Programme of Indian White Shrimp (Penaeus indicus) at ICAR-CIBA, Chennai

27^th February 2023, Chennai

Shri. Parshotam Rupala, Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairyinga launched the two flagship programmes viz. National Surveillance Programme on Fish Diseases (NSPAAD) - Phase-II and Genetic Improvement Programme (GIPPI) of Indian White Shrimp (Penaeus indicus) here today. He also launched an aquaculture insurance product brought out by CIBA and laid the foundation stone for the Genetic Improvement Facility at the ICAR - Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture, Chennai. 

The minister exhorted that both programmes are important for the development and sustainability of the aquaculture sector which eventually lead to the Blue Revolution in India. He congratulated ICAR-CIBA and NBFGR for the projects and underlined the responsibilities associated with the programmes. He urged for active support of the farmers, fishers, industry, researchers’ development departments and other stakeholders to accomplish the holistic development of the fisheries sector and achieve the planned targets.

Dr L. Murugan, Union Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying & Information Broadcasting, the Guest of Honour briefed about the various initiatives undertaken by the Govt. of India for the fisheries development in the country which culminated in increased fisheries production of 16.50 million metric tonnes. He highlighted the start-up of India and entrepreneurship development in fisheries among the educated youth is being promoted. Under sub-der the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) Rs.6000 crores has been earmarked this year mainly for the digitization of the fisheries sector, he stated. Further, Dr Murugan said the import duty on the fish feed ingredients has been reduced from 15% to 5% recently and the Kisan Credit Card facility has been extended to fishers and fish farmers to facilitate easy access to institutional credit.

Shri. Jatindra Nath Swain, IAS, the Secretary, Department of Fisheries, Government of India articulated that two landmark schemes, the NSPAAD phase-II and GIPPI are launched today at CIBA. Development of the National Information System on Aquatic Diseases and trained ‘disease diagnostic personnel’ with the involvement of state departments to report emerging diseases and provide advisories to the farmers are the aims of NSPAAD and Rs.33.80 crores have been sanctioned for the same. Similarly, Genetic Improvement programme for Indian white shrimp is important to minimise the dependence of exotic shrimp broodstock and Rs.25 crores has been sanctioned for the same to ICAR-CIBA, Chennai, he stated.

Dr.J.K.Jena, Deputy Director General (Fisheries Science)  in his welcome address exhorted that aquatic diseases are the major production threat in aquaculture and the is aimed at strengthening a farmer-based disease surveillance system so that disease cases are reported at once, investigated and scientific support is provided to the farmers he emphasized.

Dr. J. Balaji, Joint Secretary, Department of Fisheries, Government of India mentioned that management of diseases and species diversification are the two key aspects for the sustainability of aquaculture. He stressed that the engagement of state fisheries departments is important to build an “active surveillance” programme.

Shri. A. Karthik, IAS, Principal Secretary, Fisheries Department, Govt. of Tamil Nadu congratulated the CIBA scientists in unravelling the full genome sequence of P. indicus shrimp which facilitated the genetic improvement programme on the species.

Video clippings and special publications on NSPAAD and GIPPI were also screened during the programme. Broader Memorandums of Understanding were also inked with industry partners Viz., Ms. Vaishaki Shrimp Hatcheries, Mayank Aquaculture, Gujarat and Ms. A.R. Shrimp Hatcheries, Tamil Nadu for partnership in taking forward the GIPPI and upscaling of P. indicus progamme.

Dr. Kuldeep K. Lal, Director, ICAR-Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture, Chennai along with his team of scientists and staff coordinated the event.

Dr. U. K. Sarkar, Director, ICAR-National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources, Lucknow proposed the vote of thanks at the end.

(Source: ICAR - Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture, Chennai.)