The North News
Chandigarh, November 21
Punjab marked World Fisheries Day on Friday by highlighting what officials described as a significant expansion in the state’s aquaculture sector, driven by increased fish production, shrimp farming and targeted government support. Fisheries Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian said Punjab now cultivates fish across 43,685 acres, producing more than two lakh metric tonnes annually. He added that the state’s push into shrimp farming has also shown strong results, with 1,034 acres of saline land generating around 2,759 metric tonnes of shrimp.
Khudian said the government is working to make aquaculture a major economic contributor, with 16 state-run fish seed farms supplying high-quality seed at affordable rates. Punjab is also promoting the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), offering subsidies of 40% to 60% for new ponds, shrimp units, Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS), Biofloc units, fish feed mills and transport vehicles. The minister said ₹31.04 crore in subsidies has been provided to 683 beneficiaries so far.
Congratulating farmers on the occasion, Khudian urged them to continue expanding production, noting that Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann’s government is focused on using water resources more efficiently and turning previously unused land into productive assets.
Principal Secretary Rahul Bhandari added that Punjab recently designated Rohu (Labeo rohita) as the state fish. He also announced a new scheme to support the creation of ponds in low-lying areas and the renovation of older private ponds.
