Food Security in India: Is Aquaculture a Solution in the Offing?

Abstract

Food security has become the prime concern with the increasing trend of population growth in the country. Increasing fish production to meet the challenges of nutritional security has drawn the attention of the planners and policy makers. In this context, aquaculture is considered as a promising food production sector for high quality protein food and providing livelihood to the rural populace. The near stagnated capture fisheries is struggling to meet the demand for fish protein, especially in the context of the rising proportion of fish eating population. Because aquaculture has immense potential to provide food for the poor, it is essential to make it more efficient and cost-effective. However, there is multitude of challenges associated with the growth of this industry. Thus, systematic and technological interventions backed by adequate policy support are very vital for making the aquaculture operations sustainable and economical. Here, we discuss the status, potential, strategies, approaches and the way forward for achieving the targeted fish production through fish farming in India.