FISHERY
AQUA
CULTURE
Prawn
culture has assumed great significance
since 1982-83 when brackish water prawn culture
started. It is being expanded as Orissa has
a long coast line covering old Cuttack,
Puri, Baleshwar and Ganjam districts.
In the
coastal region of the state,1,263 mechanised
boats and 3,500 country craft
are operating from fishing centres like
Chandipur, Chudamani, Salugaon, Kalupadgha,
Pathara and Najari, where fishing jetties
have been constructed. At Gopalpur, Dhamara
and Astarang all -weather fishing ports have
been built. While at Paradeep a large deep
sea fishing port has come up. When Paradeep
is fully operational it will have a
fleet of 50 deep sea fishing vessels and 500
mechanised boats.
Recently,
Orissa shrimp seed production centre (OSSPC)
which is the only one of its kind in the country
has been started. This centre is cultivating
'Bagda' type prawn which fetches a very high
price in foreign markets.
FRESHWATER
FISHING
Freshwater
resources have been estimated to be 80,000
ponds of various sizes, 4,000 Km of river
channels and canals and 0.25 million hectares
of reservoirs which are suitable for fresh
water fish cultivation, for which there is
a ready local market. The catch finds a ready
market either in Calcutta or in Orissa. The
Kaibartas of Ganjam, the Nolias of Puri, the
Gokhas of Cuttack and the Keatas of Balasore
are the principal social groups who depend
primarily on fishing. The Hirakud, Balimela,
Salandi and the Bhimakurd reservoirs are the
potential places for fish culture.
