Fishing business should be treated at par with agriculture business so that fishermen could get optimum benefit. For this, more focus will be given to increase the membership of fishermen in the fishing co-operative societies. We have to do amendments in the existing rules, said, Anoop Kumar, Divisional Commissioner and Vice-Chancellor of Maharashtra Animal and Fishery Sciences University (MAFSU). He was taking the review meeting of Where there is a lake, there is a fish’ on Tuesday. Govind Bodke, Development Commissioner of Fisheries Department, Dr Kapil Chandrayan, member of Vidarbha Development Board, B S Ghate, Commissioner (Planning), Samir Parveda, Deputy Commissioner of Fishing Business Division, Dr A S Bannalikar, Dean of MAFSU, D B Raut, Registrar, Sachin Belsare, Assistant Professor and other senior officials were present. Anoop Kumar who is holding the additional charge of Vice-Chancellor of MAFSU also took review about the planning to be made to do fishing farming in potable water. Divisional Commissionerate, Fisheries Department, Nagpur and MAFSU are jointly implementing the drive Where there is a lake, there is a fish’ in Nagpur Division. Vidarbha Development Board had been given responsibility to prepare detail report on fishing business in potable water. There was detailed discussion on the report. Sachin Belsare gave presentation on the fishing business in potable water. Anoop Kumar said, the campaign of Where there is a lake, there is a fish’ is being implemented in Nagpur Division. The similar campaign will be implemented on State-level too. States like Telangana and Andhra Pradesh had made remarkable progress in fishing business. Farmers should also do fishing business as an additional income as it would reduce their dependency on agriculture income. Information should be given to the Fisheries Department about the lakes that have been developed near farms for fishing, he said. If there is depletion in the water level in lakes near farms, additional water should be supplied to them so that it should not affect the fishing business, he suggested. There is need to frame Fisheries Act and Policy on State-level. The said Act and Policy has been framed in the states like Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and West Bengal. We should also have such policy in our State so that fishing business should be brought at par with agriculture business, he suggested. Anoop Kumar also discussed with the officials how to maintain water level in lakes throughout the year. Under the campaign Where there is a lake, there is a fish,’ students of Maharashtra Animal and Fishery Sciences University should be given detailed information about importance of fishing business, objectives, planning, scientific methods, visits to lakes. Under the campaign Where there is a lake, there is a fish,’ 1,506 lakes have been identified covering an area of 4622.40 hectares. An amount of Rs 3.50 crore has been set aside. Govind Bodke appreciated the efforts of Anoop Kumar for creating awareness about the campaign Where there is a lake, there is a fish.’ The primary objective of the campaign is to increase the income level of people who are associated with the business of fishing. All the pending issues related to the fishing business will be sorted out soon, he said.