Gujarat has declared ‘Ghol’ as the state fish during the Global Fisheries Conference 2023 held in Ahmedabad. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel inaugurated the two-day conference at Gujarat Science City. The event aims to engage with domestic and global fisheries stakeholders, build partnerships, foster collaboration, and promote India’s fisheries sector.
Gujarat, with the country’s longest coastal base of 1,600 kilometres, leads in marine fish production and exports fish worth over Rs 5,000 crore. The state’s contribution to fish exports is 17%, making it an apt location for the global fisheries conference. Chief Minister Patel highlighted the blue economy’s significant role in internal and international trade, benefiting over three million people associated with the sector.
Under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, the country established a fisheries ministry, allocating Rs 75,000 crore for the fisheries and aquaculture development fund. Fisheries and agriculture production have doubled in the last nine years. The Chief Minister emphasized the importance of Sagarmala, a special initiative for coastal infrastructure development.
Fishermen in India were provided Kisan Credit Cards for business promotion, and the coastal bed became a crucial sector for national development. The fisheries sector in India provides livelihoods to over 2.8 crore fishers and farmers, contributing around 8% to global fish production. India ranks as the third-largest fish-producing country and the second-largest aquaculture producer. In FY 2022–23, fish and fish product exports totalled Rs 63,690 crore (USD 8.09 billion), with frozen shrimp leading as the major export item.