Mangaluru, May 13: The fourth edition of Aqua Aquaria India (AAI), one of the largest expositions of its kind in Asia, will be held here from May 14-16, showcasing the latest strides in aquaculture and ornamental fishery and offering a platform to various stakeholders to deliberate and chalk out a roadmap that would fuel its growth as a money-spinning export industry.
“Diversification in Sustainable Aquaculture” is the theme of the three-day biennial exposition, organised by the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), a statutory agency of the Union Ministry of Commerce & Industry dealing with promotion of marine products export and allied activities.
Pramod Madhwaraj, Minister for Fisheries, Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of Karnataka, will be the guest of honour for the event being organized at Nehru Maidan. Nalin Kumar Kateel, MP and Dr K Hari Babu MP will also address.
To be held at Nehru Maidan, AAI 2017 will showcase the latest strides in aquaculture and ornamental fish breeding and rearing technology to encourage diversification and intensification in a sustainable manner.
The AAI 2017 offers an excellent platform for aquaculture farmers and ornamental fish breeders to gather latest knowledge in farming practices and acquire practical information.
It is MPEDA’s maiden event in Karnataka and also the first time the AAI is being organised in the west coast of India. The first edition of AAI was held in Chennai in 2011 and the last two editions in Vijayawada in 2013 and 2015, respectively.
The objective of the show is to motivate farmers to adopt the latest technologies for enhancing aquaculture and ornamental fish production and exports and creating employment. It is befitting to organise the show in the major port city on the west coast to generate more awareness on aquaculture and ornamental fish.
Around 3,000 delegates from India and abroad are to participate in the mega event where 200 stalls would display various production and harvest technologies, machinery and accessories in the export-oriented aquaculture as well as ornamental fishery sectors. The delegates would comprise farmers, entrepreneurs, hatchery operators, feed manufacturers, input suppliers, manufacturers and suppliers of various aquaculture and aquarium implements, from around the world.
Internationally acclaimed experts on aquaculture and aquariculture from Australia, USA, Singapore. Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Israel, besides India, will address technical sessions on topics of current interest.
India is the second largest aquaculture producer in the world, the second largest exporter of shrimps to Europe and the largest exporter of shrimps to the US. Indian seafood exports have been growing significantly over the past five years with figures of US$ 5.5 billion in 2014-15. The country exported 9,45,892 MT of seafood worth 4.7 billion dollars in 2015-16.
Aquaculture contributes around 70 per cent of the total marine products export earnings of India. The US and South-East Asia are the major importers of Indian seafood, and frozen shrimp continues to be the major export item followed by frozen fish.
The ornamental fish and aquatic plant industry is fast gaining importance due to its tremendous economic opportunities and prospects. Globally, more than 2,500 species of ornamental fish are traded, but only 30-35 species of freshwater fish dominate the market. More than 90 percent of freshwater fish are captive bred whereas only few marine ornamentals are bred in captivity.
Public are allowed to the show from tomorrow (May 14) afternoon through an entry pass of Rs 100. It is also an opportunity to students to learn about aquaculture and aquarium keeping. Students are allowed to visit the exhibition with an entry pass of Rs 20 with valid school identity cards.
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