Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Minister Parshottam Rupala on Monday said there is a huge domestic market to capture in the country”s fisheries sector as he assured possible government support in reviving the sector. Addressing a virtual event organised by Assocham, the minister said Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY)– which was launched with an aim to bring Blue Revolution — has started benefiting fishermen in the country. Many sub-schemes under the PMMSY are directly and indirectly benefiting the fishermen, an official statement said quoting Rupala as saying. These schemes are aligned to double fish production, exports and thereby doubling fishermen income, he said. In the coming days, the sector is expected to generate employment for more than 50 lakh people across India, he added. Speaking on the occasion, Marine Products Exports Development Authority (MPEDA) Chairman K S Srinivas said the government is helping revive the sector by taking various timely measures. It is the prime concern of MPEDA to provide unique solutions to the problems faced by the marine industry bodies, ensuring smooth and proper operation of the sector along with maintaining quality, he said. Joint Secretary in the Fisheries Ministry Sagar Mehra said that PMSSY, which was launched in May 2020 with a budget of Rs 20,050 crore, is by far the largest investment in the fisheries sector. The strategy along with the concerted and collaborative efforts between the stakeholders and government is required to achieve ambitious targets under the scheme, he said.
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