Agartala, May 18: In a significant move to make the Northeast region self-reliant in fish production, Union Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh (Lalan Singh) on Sunday announced the sanction of four Integrated Aquaparks for the region, including one in Tripura’s Unakoti district headquarters, Kailashahar.
Virtually laying the foundation stone of the proposed Integrated Aquapark in Tripura and inaugurating the state’s fish festival, Singh said the other three Aquaparks will be established in Assam, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh.
These parks are among 11 sanctioned across India under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY).
“Tripura and other northeastern states have high fish consumption and vast potential for increasing fish production. The Centre and state governments are working together to boost this sector,” Singh told media.
He also assured full central support in making Tripura self-sufficient in both fish and milk production.
Tripura’s ARD and Fisheries Minister Sudhangshu Das, who also attended the programme, informed that the Centre has already sanctioned Rs 42.5 crore in the first phase for the Kailashahar project, which has an estimated cost of Rs 100 crore.
Das said the Aquapark will modernise fish production infrastructure, targeting 3,000 to 5,000 MT annually, and will support processing and marketing, benefitting numerous stakeholders across the aquaculture value chain.
Highlighting the demand-supply gap in Tripura, Das noted that while the annual fish demand is 1.17 lakh metric tonnes, the state currently produces only 85,000 MT, relying on imports from West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and even Bangladesh.
He emphasised that the Integrated Aquapark will play a crucial role in bridging this gap and generating local employment.
The Integrated Aquaparks, a flagship intervention under PMMSY, will operate on a hub-and-spoke model providing hatcheries, feed mills, cold storage, processing, training, and marketing facilities all under one roof. They are designed as innovation and livelihood generation hubs, especially for youth and women.
Tripura, with one of the highest per capita fish consumption rates in India at over 29 kg annually, has been a frontrunner in fisheries development. Under the PMMSY and the Blue Revolution, the state has received Rs 319 crore over the last decade for expanding aquaculture, improving infrastructure, and enhancing market access.
Union Minister of State George Kurian and Tripura’s Social Welfare and Social Education Minister Tinku Roy were also present at the event.
Certificates and sanction orders under various fisheries schemes, including Kisan Credit Cards (KCC), were distributed among beneficiaries. Best performing cooperatives, Fish Farmer Producer Organisations (FFPOs), and startups were also felicitated for their contributions to the sector.
