The fisheries industry’s most valuable export, seafood, experienced a 30% increase in the fiscal year 2021–2022 compared to the previous fiscal year, with a resulting increase in revenue of Rs 4,526.23 crore.
The state Assembly was notified of this on Wednesday by Ranendra Pratap Swain, the minister of fisheries and animal resource development, who provided statistics from the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA).
In response to a question from BJD Legislator Ramesh Chandra Behera, Minister Swain said that the export of seafood increased to 86,481 metric tonnes worth Rs. 4526.23 crore in the fiscal year 2021–2022 from 60,718 metric tonnes worth Rs. 3107.68 crore the previous year.
In the upcoming years, the state intends to increase export value.
According to representatives of the fisheries and animal resource development department, a new programme called the Promotion of Aquaculture and Shrimp Export Cell, with an outlay of Rs. 24.000 crore, has been budgeted for the fiscal year 2023–2024 to support processing facilities for the value addition of fish in the state.
With the help of this effort, our exporters of marine fish will become even more export-competent.
Odisha is a region with an abundance of organically grown seafood and antibiotic-free seafood.
State-run aquaculture producers don’t utilise antibiotic-containing chemicals on their seafood.
They stated that because of this, the seafood in Odisha is of a high enough quality to meet international standards.
The state intends to increase export value in the upcoming years. According to representatives of the fisheries and animal resource development department, a new programme called the Promotion of Aquaculture and Shrimp Export Cell, with an outlay of Rs. 24.000 crore, has been budgeted for the fiscal year 2023–2024 in order to promote processing facilities for the value addition of fish within the state.
Under this effort, our marine fish exporters will further improve their export capability.
There is an abundance of naturally grown seafood in Odisha, a region known for its antibiotic-free seafood. The state’s aquaculture growers don’t utilise antimicrobial chemicals on their seafood harvest. As a result, they stated, Odisha’s seafood is of a quality that can meet or exceed those of other countries.
According to the officials, Rs 22.50 crore has been allocated for the 2023–2024 fiscal year as livelihood assistance to approximately 15,000 marine fishing families, whose livelihoods are impacted by the imposition of the fishing ban for Olive ridley sea turtle conservation. This assistance has been increased from Rs. 7,500 per family to Rs. 15,00 per family.
For the Financial Year: 2023–2024, Rs 220 crore has been set aside for infrastructure improvements in the fishing industry, the growth of the government fish farm, the development of the brackish water cluster, the building of a new fish landing centre, and the office building for the assistant fishing officer.
Devi River mouth at Astaranga and Mahanadi River mouth at Paradip have been recommended for dredging with an allocation of Rs 20 crore to make them navigable year-round for the advantage of the fishers, in contrast to having no budget last year.
In the fiscal year 2023–2024, an expenditure of Rs 20 crore has been planned, which is four times more than the year before, for raising public awareness and digitising the industry.
Four crore fingerlings would be stocked in 130 reservoirs during the Financial Year 2023–2024 with an outlay of Rs 6.60 crore to improve fish output in reservoirs and the lives of main Fishermen Co-op Society members.
They came to the conclusion that an expenditure of Rs 180 crore had been suggested under the Government sponsored Programme for the integrated development and management of the fisheries sector.
Prasanta Patnaik 
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