The Blue Revolution

The concept of rapid increase in the production of fish and marine product through package programme is called as blue revolution. It was launched in India during the seventh Five-year plan (1985-1990) when the Central Government sponsored the Fish Farmers Development Agency (FFDA). It has brought improvement in aquaculture by adopting new techniques of fish breeding, fish rearing, fish marketing, and fish export.

Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu have developed shrimp in a big way. The Nellore District of Andhra Pradesh is known as the 'Shrimp Capital of India'. There are more than 1800 species of fish found in the sea and inland waters of India, of which a very few are commercially important. The important sea fish include catfish, herring, mackerels, perches, mullets, Indian salmon, shell fish, eels, anchovies, and dorab. Similarly, the main fresh water fish include catfish, loaches, perches, eels, herrings, feather backs, mullets, carps, prawns, murrels, and anchovies.

Essentials of Blue Revolution

• Mechanical and technical development

• Encouragement to aquaculture (Fish framing)

• Facility of co-operative and marketing

During the Eight Five-Year Plan (1992-97), the intensive marine fisheries programme was launched in which collaboration with multinational companies was encouraged.

• Several fishing harbours were established during the blue revolution, e.g Tuticorin, Porbandar,  Honavar, Vishakhapatnam, Dharmara, Kochi, Kandla, Port Blair etc.

• Numbers of research centre were set up to increase the production and improvement in species:

1. For freshwater fish – Barrackpore (Kolkatta)

2. For marine fish – Mandapam (Tamil Nadu) and Mumbai

3. Central Fish Research Centre- Mumbai

4. Central Institute of Fisheries and Nautical Engineering Training- Kochi