- Vice President of India has inaugurated the fifth edition of Aqua Aquaria India-2019.
- The theme of the event is “Taking Blue revolution to India’s hinterland”. The event is being organised by the Marine Products Export Development Authority(MPEDA).
- Addressing the session,Vice President said that India is the second largest fish producer in the world with a production of 13.70 million tonnes during 2018-19.
- India earns 10% of its total exports from fisheries.India is also the fourth largest exporter of fish in revenue terms.The contribution of fisheries to the Gross Domestic Product is about 1% and about 5.37% to the Agricultural GDP.
- However,India utilizes only about 40% of the available 2.36 million hectares of ponds and tanks for freshwater aquaculture and about 15% of a total potential brackish resource of 1.2 million hectares.
- Hence,there is a need to boost fish production to ensure food security to our population.
- MPEDA was constituted in 1972 under the Marine Products Export Development Authority Act,1972.It functions under the Department of Commerce,Government of India.
- It acts as a coordinating agency with different Central and State Government establishments engaged in fishery production and allied activities.
