The fisheries sector in India’s Jharkhand State has been witnessing a phenomenal growth after Jharkhand became a separate state bifurcating Bihar in 2000. When in 2001-02, the production of fish in the state had been only 14,000 metric tones. In 2010-11, eighty government fish firms produced 71,886 metric tones.
The fish seed production was increased from 32 crore to 67 crore, along with construction of 116 new fish seed hatcheries in private and government sector. The department of fisheries aims to produce fish of 1,40,000 tones during 12th plan.
The department of fisheries earning in the year 2001-02 had been only Rs 67 lakh, which in 2008-09 rose to Rs 191 lakh.
It may be mentioned that Jharkhand is predominantly an agriculture state The major dependence of farming and its allied activities on rainfall has resulted in a meagre income from the small holdings of the community and has constrained the development of rural areas
The fisheries is an integral part of rural households more so, for the traditional fishermen whose livelihood is inseparably linked with fishing.
An estimated 1.35 lakh fishermen in Jharkhand traditionally depend on fisheries and the activity provides secondary source of income and employment to all these rural households.
The existing demand for fish in Jharkhand is partly met through supplies from outside as internal production is not adequate to meet the demand. On the other hand, the state has a large number of vast and diverse water bodies, developed for multiple purposes supplementing and complementing agriculture and allied activities.