AN ANALYTICAL STUDY ON THE AQUACULTURE AND FISHERIES ROLE

Aquaculture is fast growing food production sector of the world. Compared with other food production sectors aquaculture achieved 10% annual increase since 1984; while production increase rate of meat is only 3% annually (FAO 1997; Francesco et al. 2004). According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) aquaculture is growing more rapidly than all other animal food-production sectors. Its contribution to global supplies of fish crustaceans and molluscs increased from 3.9% of total production by weight in 1970 to 33% in 2005. This growth is at an average rate of 9.2% per year since 1970 compared with only 1.4% for capture fisheries and 2.8% for terrestrial farmed-meat production systems. It is remarkable that one out of every three fish consumed in the world is now farm raised (FAO 2007). According to Yadava (2003) the fisheries sector occupies a very important place in the socio-economic development of India. This sector has been recognized as a powerful income and employment generator as ii it stimulates growth of a number of subsidiary industries and is a source of cheap and nutritious food.