Fisheries in small water bodies and small reservoirs offer immense scope for livelihoods generation – as a gainful enterprise, as a quality nutrition supplement and as a viable business for women and men fish vendors in the local markets. Fisheries offer immense potential to improve the livelihood the socially excluded communities. But there are several bottlenecks that need to be addressed to make fishery-related livelihood activity profitable. Fish farmers used to trade the fish to the local vendors as per the requirement but due to lack of technical support, knowledge centre, forward & backward linkage and other livelihood option this enterprise is unable to provide long term value to small scale fish farmers.

As per an estimate, the total fish seed required for optimal stocking in the existing ponds, new ponds and reservoirs is about 60,000 million fries. As against this, the fish seed production in 2017-18 was about 39,261.31 million fries. Thus, there is a gap of about 20,738.69 million fries. Setting up of brood banks, community-based hatcheries, utilisation of small and seasonal tank as seed nursery unit across the country, is, therefore, a priority area for sector development.