With over 2.86 lakh ha of water resources in the forms of ponds and tanks, derelict water bodies, beel etc. and two major river system Brahmaputra & Barak and its tributaries covering about 4820 Km with 53 tributaries , the State Fishery Sector is very rich having very good potential for fish production. The sector can definitely play a very important role in the socio-economic development of the State. There is a lot of scope to generate employment opportunities throughout the state especially in the rural area through Fish production and its related activities. Fish production in the state has reached a level of 3.07 lakh MT during 2016-17 against the estimated nutritional demand of 3.42 lakh MT.
The main fish production strategy, horizontal expansion is being accomplished through creation of new ponds and reclamation and renovation of existing areas followed by fish culture. On the other hand thrust on vertical expansion is given through productivity enhancement with adoption of improved & advanced culture practices and better sustainable management practices.
Although the resources potential for fish production is high, scientific fish farming and management is being practiced considerably in a small portion. Culture based capture fisheries’ enhancement programme have been undertaken in some of the beels and low-lying areas which has resulted in increasing the productivity to a extent with maximum of 1600 kg/ha/Year.
Riverine fisheries are being exploited with little conservation effort and no specific intervention. The revenue fisheries, i.e. rivers and beels are at present are under Assam Fisheries Development Corporation Ltd; Fisheries Administrative Departments, Government of Assam; Deputy Commissioners and Sub-Divisional Officers (Civil) and Panchayats through leasing out to individual /Co-operative societies.
WATER RESOURCES ALONG WITH THE WATER AREA:
River FisheriesMain River 2, Tributaries- 534820 (km)
| S. N. | Resources | Number | Water Spread Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beels /Ox-bow lakes | 2072 (Registered & Unregistered) | 71844 (ha) |
| 2 | Forest Fisheries | 341 | 6991 (ha) |
| 3 | Derelict water bodies/swamps/low-lying | 6266 | 83555 (ha) |
| 4 | Reservoir fisheries | 4 | 3096 (ha) |
| 5 | Ponds & Tanks | 547237 | 92686 (ha) |
FISH & FISH SEED PRODUCTION FOR LAST FIVE YEARS
| Year | Fish Production (lakh MT) | Fish Seed Production (Million nos. - fry) |
|---|---|---|
| 2017-18 | 3.27 | 8000 |
| 2018-19 | 3.31 | 9893 |
| 2019-20 | 3.73 | 9519 |
| 2020-21 | 3.93 | 9886 |
| 2021-22 | 4.17 | 18219 |
