5th Aqua Aquaria India 2019 | 31 Aug 2019

Recently, the Vice President of India inaugurated the 5^th Aqua Aquaria India, 2019 in Hyderabad, Telangana.

The theme for the 2019 edition is “To take Blue Revolution to India's hinterland”.
It is the largest aquaculture exhibition in India.
It is a biennial exhibition organised by the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA).

India is the second-largest fish producer in the world.
Fish constituted about 10% of total exports from India and almost 20% of agriculture exports in 2017-18.
India is the 4^th largest exporter of fish in the world.
Contribution of fisheries to the GDP is about 1% and about 5.37% to the Agricultural GDP.
Thus, India has the potential to emerge as a leading Blue Economy in the world. Notified existing potentials in the Fisheries sector are:
- Shrimp Culture: Recently, the government has permitted the regulated introduction of Pacific White Shrimp with the objective of utilizing the potential of the species to cater to the global markets.
- Cage Culture: It involves the growing of fish in existing water resources while being enclosed in a net cage which allows free flow of water.
- Pen Culture: It is the system of culturing fish within a fixed net enclosure either at the bank or in a water body

Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) is a nodal coordinating, state-owned agency engaged in fishery production and allied activities.
It was established in 1972 under the Marine Products Export Development Authority Act (MPEDA), 1972.
It functions under the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
It is headquartered in Kochi, Kerala.
Its mandate is to increase exports of seafood including fisheries of all kinds, specifying standards, marketing, processing, extension and training in various aspects.