Challenges in Food security: The Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy Perspectives in India

Shyam, S Salim and Pramod Kiran, R B and Elizabeth Joshua, Nisha and Biju Kumar, A (2014) Challenges in Food security: The Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy Perspectives in India. Journal of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries, 2 (1). pp. 24-31.

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Abstract

Food, shelter and clothing are the basic necessities of the life and among them, food plays a pivotal role in the social and economic development of the country. Demographic pressures abating the arable lands as well as the declining factor productivity in major agriculture based cropping system leaves no options with the primary stakeholders than to f ind an alternative to traditional agricultural activity. Indian fisheries sector contributes to nutritional security, provides gainful employment and earns forex earnings. The sector produces 9.3 million tonnes of f ish to the food basket generating an economic value of 81,400 crores (0.82 percent) of the total GDP as per the current market prices of 2011. The forex earnings during 2011 in terms of quantity and value are 8.70 lakh tonnes and around 3.5 billion US$ crores respectively. Eventhough capture sector is on the rise with around 3.94 million tonnes, the sector is grappled with numerous policy bottlenecks in the value chain. Thus it becomes important to harvest alternative and non-traditional sources of f isheries. Aquaculture is the fastest growing food sector in the world and there is immense scope of improving it in terms of horizontal integrations by harnessing more and more area into aquaculture in addition to the numerous policy constraints and elements required for the sustainable development of the fisheries sector to feed the ever growing population.

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