UPSC Previous Year Question | Mains GS1 | 2018
Defining Blue Revolution, explain the problems and strategies for pisciculture development in India. (Answer in 250 words)
Answer
Introduction
The Blue Revolution denotes rapid, planned growth of fisheries and aquaculture to improve food security, livelihoods, exports and incomes while maintaining aquatic ecosystems. Pisciculture—breeding and rearing fish in managed water bodies—has considerable potential in India.
Major Problems
Major problems
- Fragmented ponds, weak hatcheries, poor-quality seed, inadequate feed and limited cold-chain and landing infrastructure reduce productivity.
- Small farmers face credit, insurance, extension and market-access constraints; middlemen capture value.
- Water pollution, salinity, disease, invasive species and climate variability threaten stocks and farm viability.
- Overfishing, habitat loss, mangrove degradation and unregulated chemicals undermine sustainability.
- Low processing capacity and food-safety gaps limit value addition and export reliability.
Strategies
Strategies
- Expand quality seed and brood-bank networks, disease diagnostics, biosecurity and farmer training.
- Promote scientific pond management, integrated fish–crop systems, cage culture where ecologically suitable and efficient feed technologies.
- Provide affordable institutional credit, insurance, cooperatives, digital markets and producer organisations.
- Invest in cold chains, processing, traceability, harbours and women’s participation in value chains.
- Enforce carrying-capacity assessments, effluent standards, native biodiversity protection and ecosystem-based fisheries management.
Analysis 3
A sustainable Blue Revolution must raise productivity without transferring ecological costs to water bodies and coastal communities. Convergence of science, finance, infrastructure and regulation is essential.
Keywords
Keywords: aquaculture; biosecurity; value chain; ecosystem-based fisheries; Blue Revolution.
Topics: aquaculture, blue revolution, fisheries, geography