Shimla, Oct 23 : Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu on Wednesday said the carp fish production in the state has increased to 7,367.03 metric tons this year from last year's 6,767.11 metric tons.

He said approximately 2,600 fishermen are currently involved in carp farming, and the increase in production is contributing to a steady rise in their income.

The Chief Minister said the government is providing high-quality fish seeds to fishermen, and there are seven government-run carp fish farms in the state.

The Fisheries Department has taken numerous measures to provide farmers with high-quality fish seeds.

'In May 2024, the department procured improved Amur carp seeds from the National Freshwater Fish Brood Bank in Bhubaneswar. These seeds are being used to develop brood stock at a fish seed farm in Nalagarh in Solan district and a fish seed farm in Gagret in Una district. Farmers will have access to these superior-quality seeds from next year, which have a 20 per cent higher growth rate compared to traditional species, leading to increased income for farmers,' the Chief Minister said.

Sukhu said additionally, in June, the department signed a memorandum of understanding with the Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture in Bhubaneswar.

Under this agreement, advanced seeds of Jayanti Rohu and Amrit Katla species have been made available. Broodstock for these species is being developed at the seed farm in Nalagarh with the advanced seeds expected to be available to farmers within the next two years.

These species have a 20-25 per cent higher growth rate than traditional varieties and possess greater disease resistance.

'To enhance farmer training, the Fisheries Department has set up a state-of-the-art training centre at Gagret with an outlay of Rs 5 crore. The department is also establishing a carp fish brood bank at the Nalagarh Carp Farm in the future,' he said.

The Chief Minister said that to promote fish farming, the government is providing an 80 per cent subsidy for pond construction. So far, Rs 1.38 crore has been released for the construction of ponds, covering 14 hectares for farmers of the general category.

Sukhu said this scheme is being implemented in eight districts of Bilaspur, Mandi, Hamirpur, Kangra, Solan, Sirmaur, Chamba, and Una. The main fish species reared in these ponds include Rohu, Katla, Mrigal, Common Carp, and Grass Carp, all of which have high market value.

/IANS