Bihar emerges as fisheries powerhouse with new aqua park and NFDB regional centre

Patna: The fisheries sector in Bihar received a major infrastructure push on Monday as Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh, along with Bihar Chief Minister Shri Samrat Choudhary, laid the foundation stone for an Integrated Aqua Park in Bhojpur and inaugurated the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) Regional Centre in Patna.

The two projects are aimed at accelerating the growth of inland fisheries in Bihar through modern aquaculture technologies, quality seed production, skill development, and stronger institutional support for fish farmers and entrepreneurs.

The Integrated Aqua Park, coming up at the Vanasaur Fish Seed Farm in Bhojpur, has been approved under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) at an investment of ₹31.21 crore. The facility will house carp and catfish hatcheries, brooder incubation units, biofloc and Recirculatory Aquaculture System (RAS) units, a fish feed mill, quarantine facilities, water quality and disease diagnostic laboratories, and a 50-bed residential training hostel.

According to officials, the Aqua Park will play a key role in ensuring the availability of quality fish seed, demonstrating advanced aquaculture practices, and building technical skills among fish farmers. The project is expected to improve productivity and enhance incomes across the fisheries value chain.

The newly inaugurated NFDB Regional Centre in Patna will serve as a nodal institution for Bihar and the eastern region. It will focus on promoting scientific aquaculture practices, including RAS, biofloc systems, cage culture, and precision fish farming. The centre is also expected to strengthen coordination among government schemes, facilitate capacity building, and provide technical support to fishers and aquaculture entrepreneurs.

Bihar is widely regarded as one of India's most promising inland fisheries states due to its extensive water resources. The state possesses around 1.22 lakh hectares of tanks and ponds, 0.64 lakh hectares of reservoirs, nearly 9.5 lakh hectares of floodplain wetlands and derelict water bodies, and more than 21,000 kilometres of rivers and canals.

Over the past decade, the Government of India has approved fisheries-related projects worth ₹902.84 crore in Bihar, including ₹579.72 crore under PMMSY. These investments have supported the creation of hatcheries, brood banks, fish feed plants, cold-chain infrastructure, transport facilities, biofloc and RAS units, and aquatic diagnostic laboratories.

The investments have contributed significantly to the state's fisheries growth. Fish production in Bihar has more than doubled over the last 11 years, helping the state climb from ninth to fourth position among India's inland fish-producing states. Bihar currently exports around 89,600 metric tonnes of fish annually to neighbouring states.

The state has also notified a Wetland Fisheries Cluster covering nearly 9.5 lakh hectares of floodplain lakes and other water bodies. The initiative aims to promote community-based fisheries management, coordinated stocking programmes, and shared post-harvest infrastructure to maximise productivity from wetland resources.

Officials said the combination of the Integrated Aqua Park and the NFDB Regional Centre will create a stronger ecosystem linking infrastructure, technology, training, and institutional support. The projects are expected to generate employment opportunities, encourage entrepreneurship, and further strengthen Bihar's position as a leading inland fisheries hub in the country.