Present Status and Prospects of Fisheries Resources, Fish Seed and Fish availability in Tripura

Abstract

Tripura State has witnessed admirable growth in aquaculture sector, in recent years and has potential for substantial improvement in production of fish. The paper is an attempt to analyze the present status and future trend In fisheries resources; fish seed production, fish production and availability of inter-state fish, to make short-term projection. The State has rich potential resources in the form of water area under culture and capture fisheries. Out of the total culture fisheries resources, ponds and tanlcs contribute nearly 61.88 %. Out of total 1.34,010 fish farmers, highest number of fish farmers were reported in West Tripura District, has 38.06 % of the total fish farmers, followed by South Tripura District (29.48 %). Private fish farmers contributed highest to total fish production from culture fisheries. The contribution of carps (84.98 %) to the total fish production of Tripura was recorded to be the highest among all the species. West and South Tripura Districts contributed over two thirds of the total fish production in culture fisheries. Among capture fisheries, reservoir Gumati alone contributed 43.08 % and available rivers and rivulets contributed 46.97 %. respectively; to the fish production in capture fisheries. South and Dhalai Tripura Districts contributed a major portion (79.19 %) to the total capture fisheries production. Fish seed production has been recorded to be higher than the requirements in the State. The time series data on culture water resources, and production offish and fish seed; showed that Tripura witnessed an exponential growth over last one decade including sourcing of inter-state fish (ISF). Tripura is expected to produce 63,616 mt fish, supplemented by 24,513 mt inter-state fish by the end of 2015. During this period, culture fisheries resources are expected to reach an area of 25,731 ha, while fish seed production is expected to be aboute,043 lakhs.