Calls for scaling up trout production
Srinagar, Mar 14: Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and Panchayati Raj Rajiv Ranjan Singh on Saturday announced the sanction of a Rs100-crore Integrated Aqua Park to be established in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir and released the “Model Guidelines for the Development of Cold-Water Fisheries”.
The announcements were made during the National Conference on Cold Water Fisheries organised by the Department of Fisheries, Government of India, at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) in Srinagar.
The event was attended by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Minister of State for FAH&D and Panchayati Raj Prof S P Singh Baghel, and J&K Agriculture Production Minister Javid Ahmad Dar.
The Integrated Aqua Park project in Anantnag is expected to strengthen aquaculture infrastructure, promote cold-water fisheries, enhance fish production and create employment opportunities in the region.
During the conference, Singh, Sinha and Abdullah distributed awards to fisheries cooperative societies, progressive fish farmers, Kisan Credit Card beneficiaries, fisheries start-ups and other stakeholders from across Jammu and Kashmir.
Under the Best Fisheries Cooperative Society category, awards were presented to Jehlum Fisherman Cooperative Ltd, Mahrajpora Sopore (Baramulla), Affarwat Trout Fish Farmers Cooperative Ltd, Tangmarg (Baramulla), and Bandi Trout Fish Cooperative Limited (Kupwara) for their role in collective fish farming and strengthening the value chain.
In the Progressive Cold-Water Fish Farmers category, awards were given to Shakeel Mohammad Teeli (Anantnag), Mehjoor Sultan Mir (Kupwara), Umer Akbar Dar (Pulwama), Zaid-ul-Ahad (Srinagar) and Sara Bano (Srinagar) for their contributions to sustainable trout farming.
Under the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) category, the beneficiaries honoured included Nusrat Jan, Abdul Rashid Ganie (two beneficiaries), Bilal Ahmad Malik and Asif Ahmad Malik, all associated with aquaculture activities in Srinagar.
In the Fisheries Start-ups category, awards were presented to M/s Sheeshang Trouts (Anantnag), M/s Spring Valley Feed Mill (Srinagar), M/s Fisheries Paradise (Samba), M/s Rakesh Biofloc (Jammu), M/s Kashmir Trout (Srinagar) and M/s Raina Trout Farm (Ganderbal) for their initiatives in fish farming, feed production, processing and value addition. Sara Bano from Srinagar also received approval for establishing a Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) unit under the Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF) scheme.
Refrigerated vehicles were distributed to Arsalan Ali (Pulwama), Muzafar Ahmad Dar (Baramulla), Mohammad Iqbal Malik (Kulgam), Shakir Ahmad Mir (Shopian) and Umar Akbar Dar (Pulwama) to improve post-harvest handling and cold-chain logistics. Three-wheeler vehicles were also provided to Farooq Ahmad Akhoon, Ghulam Nabi Kaloo (Budgam), Umar Farooq Dar (Baramulla), Irshad Ahmad Khuroo (Anantnag) and Muddasir Ahmad Khanday (Kupwara) to support last-mile transportation and market access.
The dignitaries also released the Model Guidelines for Reservoir Fisheries and Aquaculture Management, which provide a framework for scientific seed stocking, cage and pen-based aquaculture, leasing and governance mechanisms, biodiversity conservation, value-chain linkages and monitoring systems.
Addressing the gathering, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said the sanction of the Integrated Aqua Park would act as a catalyst for the growth of the fisheries sector in Jammu and Kashmir. He said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, fish farmers and stakeholders are being empowered through dedicated welfare schemes, enabling technological advancement and faster sectoral growth.
He noted that the Himalayan region is the natural hub of India’s cold-water fisheries and highlighted progress made through broodstock development, hatcheries, feed mills and RAS units. He stressed that improving market linkages and increasing fish farmers’ incomes should remain central to future strategies.
Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh emphasised the need to scale up trout production, strengthen farmers’ incomes and tap export markets where cold-water species have strong demand. He said the government is focusing on developing the entire fisheries value chain to enable cold-water regions to efficiently produce, process and market trout and other species.
He also urged the formation of fisheries cooperatives and Fish Farmers Producer Organisations (FFPOs) to help farmers access government schemes, infrastructure and credit, noting that the Rs100-crore Aqua Park in Anantnag and the availability of FIDF funding would support local enterprises.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah highlighted the need to sustainably harness Jammu and Kashmir’s rich cold-water resources while adopting modern technologies and scientific practices. He said innovation, collaboration with academic institutions and learning from best practices in other regions would be key to expanding cold-water aquaculture.
Prof S P Singh Baghel, Minister of State for FAH&D and Panchayati Raj, said cold-water fisheries hold vast potential for employment generation, particularly in remote and high-altitude areas. He noted that the proposed Aqua Park would serve as a hub for innovation, training, processing and aggregation.
Javid Ahmad Dar, Minister for Agriculture Production and allied departments in J&K, said the Union Territory accounts for nearly 90 per cent of India’s trout production, with districts such as Ganderbal and Anantnag emerging as major production centres.
Union Fisheries Secretary Dr Abhilaksh Likhi said India’s cold-water fisheries include more than 278 indigenous species, contributing to production, eco-tourism and niche markets. He said 34 cold-water fisheries clusters, including those in Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarakhand, have been notified for integrated development.
Joint Secretary Sagar Mehra said investments of about Rs230 crore in the sector have improved productivity and value-chain efficiency. He stressed the need to expand advanced production systems such as RAS, raceways and cage culture, strengthen genetic improvement and feed ecosystems, and modernise cold-chain and post-harvest infrastructure.
A short film on the growth and sustainable initiatives in cold-water fisheries was also screened during the conference.
The conference saw participation from more than 10,000 stakeholders in hybrid mode, including officials from the Government of India, the Jammu and Kashmir administration, central ministries, scientific institutions, cooperatives, start-ups, industry representatives and students from SKUAST-Kashmir.
