Assam becoming one of the largest fish importing states

GUWAHATI, September 6: Assam, where the majority of the people are fish eaters, is slowly becoming one of the largest fish importing states in the country. The state, which is already enmeshed in a financial tangle, now spends over Rs 63 crore a year to satisfy the demand of the fish consumers. The production of fish inside the state has remained largely stagnant over the past few years leading to a gradual increase in fish imports. Everyday, almost two dozen trucks enter the state through the Srirampur and Baxirhat checkgates on the Assam-West Bengal border bringing fish from states like Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and even Delhi, sources in the state fisheries department told this correspondent. Though a few of the trucks are bound for the other states of the Northeast, most end their journey in Assam itself. Against the average annual demand of almost 2.5 lakh tonnes of fish, the home production is barely 1.5 lakh tonnes, a production level that has remained constant for some time.