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Government Of Assam Fishery

JICA’s assistance towards fisheries development in Assam

It is a Mega Externally Aided Project in Pipeline..........

JICA’s assistance towards fisheries development in Assam

Fishery Department had submitted one externally aided project entitled “Assam Fisheries Development and Livelihood Project” in the month of Nov, 2017 to the Ministry of DoNER , Government of India through the State Finance Department. The project is proposed to be financed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for three years (From the year 2017 to 2020) with total allocation of Rs. 3391.50 Cr. The basic goal of the project is to make the State self sufficient in table fish production by 2021-22 and thereby increase fish intake by the people of the State, to ensure supply of cheapest source of protein to them as well as create more additional employment in rural areas through fisheries.

The total unemployment is about 18 lakh indicating an alarming feature of the State’s unemployment scenario. It is hoped that the proposed externally aided project with JICA assistance will help to a great extent for overall fulfilment of unemployment scenario in the State.

The State of Assam is endowed with vast fishery resources in the form of River, Beel /Oxbow lake, Forest Fisheries, Derelict /low-lying area, Reservoirs, Pond & Tanks covering total water spread area of over 2.85 lakh ha excluding riverine fisheries. More than 95% of total population of the State consume fish. Thus, there is tremendous scope for scientific development/ management of the sector so as to make the sector as one of the important sources of income & employment/ livelihood generation, revenue earning, nutrition & food security in the State.

In the above back ground and to minimize poaching and encouraging family fish farming for production of fish by each family and reaching fish production up to minimum 3000kg/ha/year from the existing production of 1200kg/ha/yea and to receive nutritional fish protein by the villagers from their own ponds and local community tanks. Department has accordingly formulated the project with the following major components (subject to modification during final DPR submission to the JICA)

    • To construct 10000 Village Community Tanks @ 1.0 ha size each and take community based fish farming by involving the local villagers/SHGs to ensure enhanced fish production, employment generation and provide rural livelihoods through fisheries. Total water spread area would be 10,000 ha.
    • To construct 100 household (backyard/homestead) ponds (having the size of @ 0.14 ha each pond) in 2000 potential villages of the State with a total of 2,00,0000 ponds covering total pond area of 28000 ha and thereby popularize household (backyard) pond aquaculture system and create employment generation in the rural areas.

Fishery Department has already received clearance from the Ministry of DoNER, Agriculture and Framers Welfare, External Affairs, Home Affairs and Economic Affairs with with some comments (Copy enclosed) where Deptt. has already shared views, etc. with the concerned Ministries. As a result, the project has already been included in the JICA’s Rolling Plan as communicated by the Ministry of Finance , GoI vide their Lr. No- F.-1/4/2017/Japan-1 Dated 24.7.2017.

  1. Project Outputs from the point of view of production
  2. Project Outputs from the point of view of employment generation

Project Outputs from the point of view of production

  • Enhanced fish production from 1200kg/ha/year to 3000kg/ha/year.
  • Creation of 2,00,000 ponds with average size of 0.14 ha backyard ponds covering total pond area of 28000 ha.
  • Creation of 10000 village community tanks @ 1.0 ha to be managed by local community/ SHGs consisting of 15-25 Local youths.
  • Creation of additional pond areas of 38000 ha.
  • Production of additional fish =1,14,000 tons @ 3 ton/ha =114 thousand tons.
  • At current trend fish requirement = 360 thousand tons; production in 2019-20 = 347 thousand tons; deficit = 360-347= 13 thousand tons.
  • Surplus after completion of the project = 114-13= 101 thousand tons.
  • Cost of 101 thousand tons @ Rs. 150/Kg = Rs. 1515 crores.

Project Outputs from the point of view of employment generation

  • From the village community ponds (10,000 nos.) total employment generation = 10,000 x 20 = 2,00,000 (taking 20 unemployed youth per SHG/local community group)
  • From farmers individual ponds (100 x 2000= 2,00,000 nos.), employment generation is 4,00,000 (taking 2 employable persons per family).
  • Total employment generation from the project will be at least 6 lakhs (out of total unemployed youths numbering ~ 18 lakhs i.e. > 33%.