Question : Blue Revolution

(a) whether the Government has envisaged a programme named “Blue Revolution” to unlock the country’s latent potential through an integrated approach and if so, the details and the salient features thereof;
(b) whether any role of the coastal States has been defined under the blue revolution and if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the Blue Revolution focuses on creating an enabling environment for an integrated and holistic development and management of fisheries for the sociol economic development of the fishermen and fish farmers;
(d) whether any target has been fixed to achieve by the Government under the Blue Revolution and if so, the details thereof and the plan prepared by the Government to achieve the said target;
(e) the details of the other areas which will be focused in the revolution; and
(f) the manner in which this revolution will achieve the goal set by the Government and for upliftment of farmers and fishing community?

ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE & FARMER’s WELFARE:
(SMT. KRISHNA RAJ)
(a) Yes, Sir. The Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries (DADF), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has envisaged a programme called “Blue Revolution” to unlock the country’s latent potential through an integrated approach . The scheme also aims for an integrated development and management of the fisheries sector covering inland fisheries, aquaculture, marine fisheries, mariculture, cage/pen culture and creation of fisheries infrastructure through central financial assistance towards sustainable livelihood to fishermen. The scheme has various broad components namely, (i) Development of Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture, (ii) Development of Marine Fisheries, Infrastructure and Post-Harvest Operations, (iii) National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) and its activities, (iv) National Scheme of Welfare of Fishermen, (v) Strengthening of Database and Geographical Information System of the Fisheries Sector and (vi) Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS) and other need based interventions.
(b) Various components and sub-components of the Blue Revolution scheme are being implemented through the respective State / UT Governments. Hence, all the States including coastal States have to avail assistance from the DADF and implement the activities as per the approved guidelines of the Blue Revolution scheme.
(c) Yes, Sir. The Blue Revolution focuses on creating an enabling environment for an integrated and holistic development and management of fisheries for the social and economic development of the fishermen and fish farmers.
(d) Target of fish production of 15 million metric tonnes has been fixed by the Government under the Blue Revolution programme by 2020.
(e) The Department has prepared Integrated National Fisheries Action Plan (INFAP) for achieving the targets under Blue Revolution utilizing various fisheries resources like inland, coastal and marine in a sustainable manner through various fisheries activities and areas like (i) Introduction of diversified high yielding varieties, (ii) Modern hatcheries, (iii) Re-circulatory aquaculture system (RAS), (iv) Integrated approach for reservoir fisheries development, (v) In-situ rearing of fish seed for stocking in Inland water bodies, (vi) Cage Culture in reservoirs, (vii) Ornamental fisheries, (viii) Shrimp farming in coastal areas, (ix) mariculture including open sea cage culture , (x) and Deep sea fishing etc.
(f) The overall fish production and productivity in the country would increase through the implementation of Blue Revolution scheme. Due to increase in fish production, the nutritional security and income earned by the fishers would also increase and hence there will be an upliftment in the socio economic aspect of the fishers and fishing community