Srinagar, Mar 14: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday emphasised the need to adopt improved scientific techniques and develop modern infrastructure and value addition to enhance cold water fisheries production in Jammu and Kashmir while ensuring sustainability and livelihood security for fish farmers.
Addressing a day-long national conference on cold water fisheries held at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC), Srinagar, CM Omar while welcoming the Union Minister and other dignitaries to Srinagar, thanked Government of India for choosing J&k as the venue for such an important conference on development of cold water fisheries.
“I would like to warmly welcome the Union Minister and his colleagues and thank them for choosing Srinagar for this very important conference on how we can further increase the production of cold water fisheries,” he said.
Highlighting the importance of learning and innovation in the sector, the CM said the conference had already provided new insights into emerging practices in fisheries.
“Till now we believed that cold water fisheries were limited to mountainous regions like J&K, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and the Northeast. We assumed that these areas alone had the advantage because of their geography. But today we learned something new,” he said.
Referring to innovative aquaculture practices in other parts of the country, CM Omar cited the example of a youth entrepreneur from Hyderabad producing trout through advanced techniques in tropical climate. .
“We heard about a young entrepreneur in Hyderabad who has established a facility producing around 200 metric tonnes of trout. This shows that technology can overcome geographical limitations. It also means that regions like ours must improve techniques and adopt modern scientific practices to stay ahead,” he said.
The CM said the government had a responsibility to support fishermen and aquaculture entrepreneurs who depend on fisheries for their livelihoods.
“Our responsibility is to strengthen those who have taken up fisheries as their livelihood. We must help them increase production, improve infrastructure in remote areas and ensure better post-production facilities,” he said.
Calling for greater use of science and research, CM Omar stressed that innovation would be crucial for the future growth of cold water fisheries.
“Science and research must guide the development of this sector. We need to identify new techniques and innovations that can help increase cold water fisheries production in a sustainable manner,” he said.
The CM also highlighted the importance of balancing production with environmental protection.
“While increasing production, we must ensure sustainability. Our environment must not be damaged and our natural fish stocks must remain protected,” he said.
CM Omar said that climate change poses new challenges for agriculture, horticulture, and fisheries in the region.
“Climate change is becoming increasingly visible. We recently witnessed unusual temperatures in Srinagar in February and early flowering of trees this year. Even the Tulip Garden is ready much earlier than usual. These changes will inevitably impact sectors like fisheries, and we must be prepared,” he said.
Emphasising the value of knowledge sharing, the CM said hosting the conference in Srinagar would help J&K learn best practices of other states and share its own long experience in trout farming.
“It has been about 126 years since trout was first introduced in Kashmir around 1900. We have a rich experience in this sector and we must share it with others while also learning from the best practices of states like Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and those in the Northeast,” he said.
CM Omar expressed confidence that collaborative efforts between the Centre, states, and stakeholders would further strengthen India’s fisheries sector.
“Fish production in the world has reached new heights. With the focused attention now being given to this sector and the creation of a dedicated ministry, I am confident that the day is not far when India will be among the leading countries in fish production globally. In that journey, cold water fisheries will hold a special place,” he said.
The CM welcomed delegates from across the country and expressed hope that the conference would result in meaningful knowledge exchange and future collaboration.
“I once again welcome all participants to Srinagar and hope that everyone who has come here will benefit from the discussions and return with new ideas and learnings,” he said.
