NFDB’s innovative schemes all for fish culture

NFDB is ready to dispense its services to anyone who sincerely wants to promote fish as a healthy food. In fact he says that unemployed youth can think of ‘Fish on Wheels’ as a self-employment proposition. The NFDB has taken several steps to reach out to the stake holders involving aquaculture farmers, seed and feed and processing entrepreneurs and women’s groups engaged in marketing endeavors throughout the country to make delivery of services hassle-free

Guntur: Fish is rich in protein and minerals like calcium, phosphorous, potassium, selenium, magnesium and vitamins like A, D, K, B3, B12. It is a good source of Omega-3 fatty acids. It contains mono-unsaturated fats, regulates metabolism and strengthens the immune system. It is an important food for brain as it enhances brain activity, and helps in regulating hormone levels and improves elasticity of blood vessels and capillaries, improves heart functioning and blood pressure levels. Fish consumption also helps in alleviating pain of migraine and arthritis and helps in preventing cancer and cancer causing agents.

The National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) thinks these are sufficient reasons to promote fish culture and consumption on a massive scale. Chicken is widely consumed due its availability. Whereas fish is not easily available everywhere even though quite a many fishermen live on fishing.

After Dr MV Rao, a senior IAS officer, had taken over as chief executive of NFDB, he started popularising fish culture on an unprecedented scale and reached out to fishermen societies, releasing what is due to them by making fish culture a hassle-free, profitable proposition to people in remote villages of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and other states in the country. His efforts are paying dividends and now yielding positive results.

The NFDB is promoting ‘Fish on Wheels’, an initiative to make cooked fish easily available in residential areas in the country. The latest experiments in Chennai, Mumbai and in Andhra Pradesh are making waves.

Hundreds of fish lovers are turning to mobile fish outlets and fish canteens for tasting the varieties of fish recipes.

NFDB’s national headquarters, which is located in Hyderabad, is yet to tap into AP and Telangana’s fish culture potential, while Kerala and Tamil Nadu are deriving maximum benefit out of fishery schemes.

However, the two Telugu speaking states are squeezing out maximum mileage out of the ‘Fish Transport Vehicles’, thus facilitating fish culture, production and marketing of fish on a massive scale.

NFDB’s chief executive Dr Rao, speaking to The Vijayawada Hans, said that in the past beneficiaries had to go through the ordeal of filling 42 different forms for availing NFDB subsidies or assistance but now everything has been simplified by introducing one form for all and processing of every application within just two weeks, through the department of fisheries operating in every district.

“NFDB is ready to dispense its services to anyone who sincerely wants to promote fish as a healthy food. In fact he says that unemployed youth can think of ‘Fish on Wheels’ as a self-employment proposition. The NFDB has taken several steps to reach out to the stake holders involving aquaculture farmers, seed and feed and processing entrepreneurs and women’s groups engaged in marketing endeavors throughout the country to make delivery of services hassle-free,” said Dr MV Rao.