Though Assam has recorded an increase in fish production by over 33% in the last five years, the northeastern state still depends on other states to meet the required demand of around 5 lakh tonnes yearly as the consumption rate has also increased by 25% per capita.
According to the data provided by the directorate of fisheries, the state had produced 3.31 lakh tonnes fish in 2018-19 and the generation increased to 4.43 lakh tonnes last year. The state purchased 2.6 lakh tonnes of fish in the last financial year, which is an increase of 116% compared to the 2018-19 financial year. A total of 1.2 lakh tonnes fish were procured by the state from other parts of the country in 2018-19.
The joint director of the directorate, Ramendra Chandra Barman, said fish consumption has gradually gone up and is expected to increase even more in the coming years.
He emphasized the importance of offering a diverse range of fish varieties at weddings, in hotels and restaurants as pescatarians expect diverse dining options. “Although people prefer seafood, river fish like rohu, katla, and mrigel carp from other states are also brought from other states for crowd feeding because of their size,” he added.
The joint director said the state is still lagging in producing large-sized fish as the climatic conditions do not support farming of such fish.
“The optimal temperature range for fish production is between 29 and 32 degrees Celsius. Within this range, the metabolic rates of the creatures can enhance, contributing to improved productivity, however, it is not happening in the state currently,” he added.