Sikkim Highlights Key Fisheries Issues at 12th Governing Body Meeting of NFDB, Hyderabad
Shri Puran Kumar Gurung, Hon’ble Minister, Agriculture Department, Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Services Department, Fisheries Department and Horticulture Department, Government of Sikkim, along with Mrs. Roshni Rai, Secretary, Fisheries Department, and Shri Surendra Bhandari, Assistant Director-cum-State Nodal Officer (PMMSY), attended the 12th Governing Body Meeting of the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) held at Hyderabad on 5th January 2026.
The meeting was chaired by the Hon’ble Union Minister for Animal Husbandry and Fisheries, Rajiv Ranjan Singh, and was attended by State Fisheries Ministers, senior officials from States and Union Territories, and NFDB representatives.
During the meeting, the Hon’ble Minister from Sikkim raised key issues critical to fisheries development in hill and north-eastern states. These included revision of the existing cost norms for exposure visits of fish farmers outside the State, which are presently inadequate for long-distance learning visits. He also sought NFDB support for organising Buyers–Sellers Meets, Fish Melas and Expos outside the State at major market centres such as Siliguri, Kolkata and New Delhi to promote Sikkim’s high-value Rainbow Trout. Further, he proposed that future NFDB Governing Body meetings may be organised in north-eastern states, including Sikkim, and requested support for implementation of the Organic Fisheries Cluster in the State as per the Strategic Action Plan submitted to NFDB.
On 6th January 2026, the Secretary and Assistant Director, Fisheries Department, visited the NFDB office at Hyderabad and held discussions with the Chief Executive and senior officers. The Department sought support for an exposure visit of State officials to Denmark on advanced trout breeding and farming technologies, including organic trout practices, biosecurity and eyed ova management, in view of Sikkim’s ongoing import of trout eyed ova under PMMSY. Support was also requested for establishment of the Sikkim Fisheries Development Board, exposure visits of officials to states such as Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland to study Aquapark models, and exposure visits of trout farmers to Nepal, considering the close agro-ecological and socio-cultural similarities that facilitate effective peer learning. In addition, suggestions for inclusion of state-specific activities under PMMSY Phase-II, already submitted to the Ministry, were discussed.
The Fisheries Department, Government of Sikkim, reaffirmed its commitment to sustainable and market-oriented fisheries development and expressed its appreciation to the Union Ministry and NFDB for their continued support.
