Dikhyaa Mohanty 
At a World Fisheries Day ceremony held here on Thursday, Fisheries and Animal Resources Development (F&ARD) Minister Gokulananda Mallik revealed plans to create an Animal and Fishery Sciences University in the state. Mallik noted that Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has been asked to approve the university’s proposal.
According to the Minister, the state government plans to invest ₹100 crore to build a cutting-edge aqua park in Sambalpur. The park, which will cover about 100 acres near Basantpur, is a component of the government’s larger plan to make freshwater fish farming in Odisha self-sufficient.
He said that the state is now India’s fourth-largest fish producer, with an annual production of 11.24 lakh tonnes. In order to meet domestic demand, Odisha imports 33,000 tonnes of fish from other states each year, but exports 2.92 lakh tonnes of fish and 84,000 tonnes of processed seafood.
The government’s long-term goal is to export freshwater fish abroad every five years. Minister Mallik emphasized that the state now consumes 18 kg of fish per person and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to increasing the industry’s output and self-sufficiency. Odisha will make ₹2,300 crore in investments in the fisheries sector in partnership with the Central Government. New fish markets, contemporary jetties, and other infrastructure are being built as part of this development effort to support the state’s fisheries ecology. These programs seek to improve livelihoods, increase exports, and bolster Odisha’s standing as one of India’s principal centers for the production of fish and shellfish.
