Hyderabad: The Telangana State government is planning to introduce a strong policy to boost the fishing industry. This comes after they study the best practices from other states across India.
The Telangana State Fisheries department is focusing on increasing fish production by using more than 100 reservoirs in the state. They are also working to end the current contract system that limits production. A team led by Mettu Sai Kumar, Chairman of the Telangana Fishermen Co-operative Societies Federation (TFCSF), along with other officials, will visit different states to learn from their success stories. They will start by visiting Karnataka.
After Karnataka, the team will visit states like Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. These states, despite being landlocked and relying entirely on freshwater fish, have successfully developed their fishing industries. Telangana has around 14,000 lakes and 102 reservoirs, many of which remain underused due to the lack of a proper policy. “We want to make full use of these resources and bring the fishing industry in Telangana to the same level as our neighboring states,” said Mettu Sai Kumar. He added that once the study is complete, a report will be submitted to the government for further action.
Currently, only about 10 percent of the state’s reservoirs are being used for fishing. Mettu Sai Kumar believes that once all 102 reservoirs are used, the fishing industry in Telangana could become profitable and contribute significantly to the state’s revenue. However, for this to happen, the contract system must be removed, and the fishing industry should be brought entirely under state control.
As part of their research, the team will first visit Mysore and other locations in Karnataka on a three-day tour. After completing their study within India, there is also a proposal to visit the United States to learn about global best practices in the fishing industry.
