GADVASU to organise drive to promote consumption of fish

The College of Fisheries (CoF), Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU), will conduct a fish consumption awareness drive throughout December

The College of Fisheries (CoF), Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, will conduct a fish consumption awareness drive throughout December.

GADVASU will conduct the drive to promote the consumption of fish and spread awareness on its nutritional values. (AFP)

Various activities including a fish food festival and competitions including poster making and slogan writing will be organised, which will see active participation from students of the varsity.

India is the second largest aquaculture producer in the world. However, fish-eating population in the country is estimated to be only 55%, with an average annual per capita fish consumption (PCFC) of about 9kg, which is less than half of the world average (20kg).

Among Indian states, Tripura tops in terms of PCFC (29kg), while it is more than 50 kg in islands like Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep.

Meera D Ansal, dean of CoF, GADVASU, said that PCFC is very less in the north-western region of the country. It is only 0.4 kg in Punjab and lowest in Rajasthan (0.01 kg), against the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended PCFC of 12 kg.

She also highlighted the nutrition values of fish including protein content/quality, easy digestibility, omega-3 Poly unsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), minerals (calcium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, iodine, potassium and magnesium) and vitamins (A, D, B2 and E).

Fish is well known for its functional properties boosting immunity, vision and heart health, with significant role in brain development in growing children. Unlike coastal states, the non-vegetarian population of Punjab prefers to eat chicken, chevon/mutton, pork etc. and nevertheless, most of its small fish-eating population prefers to eat spineless fish.

Applauding the initiative, Inderjeet Singh, vice-chancellor of GADVASU, said that Punjab with its total fish production of 1.5 lakh tones, has resources to easily double its production and offer annual per capita fish availability of 10 kg to the existing estimated population of about 3 crores. The fisheries sector presents enormous socio-economic growth in terms of food, nutritional security, livelihood, employment opportunities and revenue generation, he added.