Srinagar, Mar 14 (JKNS): Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh, FAH&D and Panchayati Raj, on Saturday announced the sanction of a ₹100-crore Integrated Aqua Park in Anantnag, Jammu & Kashmir, while releasing the “Model Guidelines for the Development of Cold‑Water Fisheries” during the National Cold Water Fisheries Conference at SKICC, Srinagar.
As per news agency JKNS, Rajiv Ranjan Singh, Union Minister Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying (FAH&D) and Panchayati Raj announced the sanction of a ₹100 crore Integrated Aqua Park Project to be established in District Anantnag, J&K.
Union Minister also released the “Model Guidelines for the Development of Cold‑Water Fisheries” during the National Conference on Cold Water Fisheries organized by Department of Fisheries, Government of India at the Sher‑e‑Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC), Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir.
The event was graced by Manoj Sinha, Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor, Jammu & Kashmir; Omar Abdullah, Chief Minister, Jammu & Kashmir; Prof. S.P. Singh Baghel, Minister of State, FAHD and Panchayati Raj; and Javid Ahmad Dar, Minister, Agriculture Production Department, J&K.
The Integrated Aqua Park Project to be established in District Anantnag, J&K will strengthen aquaculture infrastructure, boost cold-water fisheries development, increase fish production and create employment opportunities in the region.
Union Minister FAH&D Rajiv Ranjan Singh and Lieutenant Governor, Jammu & Kashmir Manoj Sinha, along Chief Minister, Jammu & Kashmir Omar Abdullah have presented awards to Best Fisheries Cooperative Societies, Progressive Fish farmers, KCC beneficiaries, Fisheries start‑ups, and other scheme benefits to stakeholders across Jammu & Kashmir.
Best Fisheries Cooperative Society category, awards were presented to Jehlum Fisherman Cooperative Ltd, Mahrajpora Sopore (Baramulla), Affarwat Trout Fish Farmers Cooperative Ltd, Tangmarg (Baramulla) and Bandi Trout Fish Cooperative Limited (Kupwara) were honoured for their leadership in collective fish farming and value‑chain strengthening.
In the category of Progressive Cold‑water Fish Farmers, Shri Shakeel Mohd Teeli (Anantnag), Mehjoor Sultan Mir (Kupwara), Umer Akbar Dar (Pulwama), Shri Zaid Ul Ahad (Srinagar) and Smt. Sara Bano (Srinagar) for their contributions to sustainable trout farming.
In the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) category, Nusrat Jan W/o Shabir Ahmad Ganie (Trout Raceway, Srinagar), Abdul Rashid Ganie, S/o Late Gul Ganie (Trout Raceway, Srinagar), Shri Abdul Rashid Ganie, S/o Habib Ullah Ganie (Trout Raceway, Srinagar), Bilal Ahmad Malik, S/o Ali Mohammad Malik (Net/Boat, Srinagar) and Asif Ahmad Malik, S/o Hafizullah Malik (Net/Boat, Srinagar) were honoured for adopting scientific and credit‑enabled practices in aquaculture.
Further in Fisheries Start‑ups category, Sheeshang Trouts, represented by Manzoor Ahmad Bhat (Live Fish Vending Centre, Anantnag), Springvalley Feed Mill, represented by Gowhar Rasool Reshi (Feed Mill, Srinagar), Fisheries Paradise, represented by Neha Atri (Carp Unit, Samba), Rakesh Biofloc, represented by Rakesh Kumar (Biofloc Unit, Jammu), Kashmir Trout (Cold Storage Unit, Srinagar) and Raina Trout Farm, represented by Reyaz Ahmad Raina (Trout Unit, Ganderbal) were honoured for demonstrating enterprise leadership in feed, farming, processing and value addition.
In addition, under the Sara Bano (Srinagar) received approval for the establishment of a new RAS unit under FIDF scheme.
Refrigerated Vehicles were distributed to Arsalan Ali (Pulwama), Muzafar Ahmad Dar (Baramulla), Mohd Iqbal Malik (Kulgam), Shakir Ahmad Mir (Shopian) and Umar Akbar Dar (Pulwama) to enhance post‑harvest handling.
Three‑Wheeler Vehicles were distributed to Farooq Ahmad Akhoon, Gh Nabi Kaloo (Budgam), Umar Farooq Dar (Baramulla), Irshad Ahmad Khuroo (Anantnag) and Muddasir Ahmad Khanday(Kupwara) to support last‑mile transport and local market access.
Union Minister FAH&D and Panchayati Raj Rajiv Ranjan Singh, Lieutenant Governor of Jammu & Kashmir Manoj Sinha,Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir Omar Abdullah and other dignitaries jointly released the Model Guidelines for Reservoir Fisheries & Aquaculture Management.
The Guidelines provide a comprehensive framework covering scientific seed stocking, cage‑and pen‑based aquaculture, leasing and governance mechanisms, biodiversity conservation, value‑chain linkages and monitoring systems.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, in his address highlighted that the sanction the Integrated Aqua Park in J&K that will serve as a major catalyst for the region’s growth.
He noted that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, fish farmers and sectoral stakeholders are being empowered through dedicated welfare schemes, leading to accelerated growth, and technological advancement. Emphasizing that the Himalayan region is the natural hub of India’s cold‑water fisheries, he underlined the progress through systematic interventions in broodstock development, hatcheries, feed mills and RAS units.
He underlined that improving market linkages and enhancing fish farmers’ incomes must remain central to future strategies and reaffirmed that with the support of the Government of India, Jammu & Kashmir will continue to move decisively toward sustainable and inclusive growth in cold‑water fisheries.
Rajiv Ranjan Singh, Hon’ble Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying (MoFAH&D) and Panchayati Raj, GoI in his address emphasized the need to scale trout production and strengthen the incomes of cold‑water fish farmers by enhancing productivity, improving value addition and tapping into export markets where these species hold strong demand.
He emphasised the Government’s focus on promoting end‑to‑end value‑chain development to ensure that cold‑water regions can efficiently produce, process and market trout and other species with improved access to modern infrastructure and stronger market linkages.
Union Minister FAH&D urged organization of Fish Farmers through cooperatives and FFPOs and encouraged States/UTs to support farmers in accessing schemes, infrastructure and credit. He noted that the ₹100‑crore Aqua Park sanctioned in Anantnag and the availability of FIDF funding will enable local enterprises to scale.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, in his address, underscored the importance of sustainably harnessing Jammu & Kashmir’s rich cold‑water resources and noted the need to adopt technologies and scientific practices that allow cold‑water aquaculture to expand without ecological compromise.
He emphasized the need for continuous innovation, closer collaboration with academic institutions and adoption of best practices from regions such as the NER to strengthen productivity and resilience. He remarked that with modern technologies, cold‑water fisheries can be developed across diverse parts of the Union Territory, offering new livelihood opportunities.
Prof. S. P. Singh Baghel, Hon’ble Minister of State, FAH&D and Panchayati Raj in his address underlined the vast potential of India’s cold‑water fisheries and He expressed gratitude to Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi for establishing a dedicated Ministry noting that this focused attention has enabled targeted interventions and visible growth across the sector.
Highlighting the Government’s sustained investments over the past decade, he highlighted the ₹100‑crore Aqua Park in Jammu & Kashmir, which will serve as hubs for innovation, training, processing and aggregation.
He emphasized the critical role of the fisheries sector in employment generation and community development, particularly in remote and high‑altitude regions.
Javid Ahmad Dar, Hon’ble Minister for Agriculture Production, Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Cooperative and Election Departments, in his address noted that J&K contributes nearly 90 percent of India’s trout production with regions such as Ganderbal and Anantnag renowned for their production. Highlighting the initiatives taken by the UT Government, he referred to the expansion and modernization of hatcheries, strengthened post‑harvest management, all of which have elevated the sector into a technology‑driven source of employment.
Dr. Abhilaksh Likhi, Union Secretary, Department of Fisheries highlighted the significance of cold‑water fisheries in preserving India’s rich indigenous germplasm, with more than 278 species contributing to national production, eco‑tourism and niche market potential.
He underscored that targeted interventions have enabled scientific stocking, climate‑suitable culture practices, improved cold‑chain connectivity and direct market linkages for start‑ups, women‑led groups and FFPOs.
He added that nationally 34 clusters, including those in Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir and Uttarakhand, have been notified to promote integrated and region‑specific development.
He commended the exhibition showcasing value‑added products and appreciated the highly interactive deliberations during the Technical Sessions, which will guide states in implementing sustainable and climate‑resilient cold‑water fisheries development.
Sagar Mehra, Joint Secretary, Department of Fisheries, in his address highlighted that investments of ₹230 crore in the segment have significantly improved value‑chain efficiency and productivity.
Emphasising improvements required across the entire value chain from pre‑production to production, post‑harvest and integrated development he proposed need to ensure altitude‑aligned seed availability through a seamless network of brood banks, hatcheries and grow‑out farms supported by modern logistics such as drones.
He stressed the need to scale advanced production systems such as RAS, raceways and cage culture, deploy IoT‑enabled monitoring, strengthen genetic improvement and feed ecosystems, modernise post‑harvest and cold‑chain systems for premium products, and operationalise clusters.
A short film showcased the growth story and sustainable initiatives in the segment.
The Conference witnessed participation of more than 10,000 attendees in hybrid mode, bringing together senior officials from the Department of Fisheries, Government of India; Department of Fisheries, Jammu & Kashmir; Ministry of Commerce and Industry; DPIIT; Ministry of Food Processing Industries; Department of Animal Husbandry; Ministry of Power and other line Ministries and Departments.
The event also saw the presence of representatives from MPEDA, EIC, NFDB, NCDC, NABARD, senior scientists from ICAR institutions, faculty and students of SKUAST‑Kashmir, fisheries cooperatives, progressive fish farmers, Industry representatives, Startups and Entrepreneurs engaged in the Fisheries value chain. (JKNS)
