Union Fisheries Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh and Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on Monday laid the foundation stone of an Integrated Aqua Park in Bhojpur and inaugurated a regional centre of the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) in Patna.
The Integrated Aqua Park, approved under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) at a cost of ₹31.21 crore, will serve as a comprehensive aquaculture facility with hatcheries, biofloc tanks, Recirculatory Aquaculture System (RAS) units, fish feed manufacturing facilities, diagnostic laboratories, quarantine infrastructure and a residential training hostel.
According to the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying of India, the project is expected to improve the availability of quality fish seed, promote modern aquaculture practices and reduce dependence on neighbouring states for key inputs.
The NFDB regional centre in Patna will function as a support and knowledge hub for Bihar and other eastern states, facilitating training, capacity building, technical assistance and implementation of fisheries-related schemes. The Centre is also expected to encourage the adoption of technologies such as biofloc farming, cage culture and precision aquaculture among fish farmers and entrepreneurs.
Speaking at the event, Rajiv Ranjan Singh said Bihar’s fish production had increased from 3.18 lakh tonnes in 2005 to more than 10.2 lakh tonnes in 2025, reflecting the impact of sustained investment in the sector. He said the new facilities would help strengthen the fisheries value chain while supporting value addition, skill development and export-oriented aquaculture.
Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary said Bihar had considerable untapped potential in inland fisheries and pointed to market opportunities in neighbouring Jharkhand and Nepal. He said the state government was focusing on infrastructure creation, technology adoption and institutional support to drive growth in the sector. The Integrated Aqua Park, he added, would also be developed as an eco-tourism destination.
According to the Department of Fisheries, Bihar has received over ₹902 crore in central assistance over the last 11 years under various fisheries programmes, including PMMSY. During the same period, fish production in the state rose from 4.79 lakh metric tonnes in 2014-15 to 10.28 lakh metric tonnes in 2025-26, making Bihar the country’s fourth-largest inland fish-producing state.
