Vijayawada to host global aquaculture conference in Feb 2015

An international conference on aquaculture will be held at Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh from February 20, to discuss various issues concerning domestic aquaculture industry.
Announcing the schedule of the two-day event 'Aqua Aquaria 2015, chairperson of the Marine Products Development Authority of India (MPDAI), Leena Nair said the conference will be attended by various stake-holders.
"Aquaculture farmers, ornamental fish breeders, feed manufacturers, hatchery owners, machinery suppliers, officials from fisheries institutions and state and Central government departments, researchers, students and aquarium hobbyists in India and from abroad are expected to participate in the event," Nair said.
She was addressing reporters after attending an international seminar 'Tilapia India -2014', organised by MPEDA here today.

"Andhra Pradesh has good potential in aquaculture and to promote it more, the MPEDA has decided to organise the event in AP," she said.
Dr Manmohan Singh, Principal secretary, Department of Agriculture, Andhra Pradesh said the state has set the target of aqua produce worth Rs 80,000 crore in the next five years.
"To meet this ambitious target, the government is encouraging farmers by removing stringent norms and rules," he said, adding that the share of AP in the country's total aqua produce is 25 per cent and government has decided to raise it to a "favourable level."
At 'Tilapia India -2014', the MPEDA scientists explained to local farmers the benefits of breeding and farming of Tilapia fish in inland water, which they said has a good demand abroad and also good export potential.