Kolkata, Feb 2 (KNN) The Seafood Exporters' Association of India (SEAI) in the West Bengal region is advocating for the creation of an integrated aqua park in the state to harness its untouched potential in marine product exports.

This call comes in response to the announcement made by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who, in the recent interim budget, proposed the establishment of five integrated aqua parks.

SEAI believes that West Bengal has the capability to emerge as the leading marine product exporting state in the country, reported TOI.

Rajarshi Banerji, the Regional President of SEAI (West Bengal), emphasised the importance of collaboration between the state government and the Centre for the successful implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana.

In her budget speech, Sitharaman set an ambitious target of doubling seafood exports to Rs 1 lakh crore and generating 55 lakh employment opportunities in the near future.

Sitharaman also highlighted the significant growth in seafood exports, which have doubled since 2013-14, reaching around Rs 65,000 crore for the entire country.

Bengal alone contributes close to Rs 10,000 crore to this export figure.

SEAI argues that the state's potential remains largely untapped.

Banerji pointed out that West Bengal has 4 lakh hectares of brackish water, surpassing Andhra Pradesh, the largest marine product producer in India.

However, only 80,000 hectares in Bengal are currently utilized for this purpose.

The proposed aqua park, according to SEAI, would not only align with the central government's vision for boosting seafood exports but also tap into West Bengal's abundant brackish water resources, potentially transforming the state into a powerhouse for marine product exports.

The association is optimistic that increased cooperation between the state and central authorities will lead to the successful realisation of this vision, contributing significantly to India's seafood export sector.

(KNN Bureau)