Balasore district of Odisha Received Best Marine District Award

Highlights:

• Balasore district in Odisha got India's "Best Marine District" title on November 21, 2021, in honour of World Fisheries Day.
• The ministry of fisheries, animal husbandry, and dairying hosted the award event.
• Union minister for fisheries, animal husbandry, and dairying Parshottam Rupala presented the award to Odisha government director of fisheries Smruti Ranjan Pradhan.
• Odisha is India's fourth-largest fish-producing state. 
• It produced 8.73 lakh metric tonnes of fish in 2020-21, contributing 2.33 % to the state GDP.
• In the previous five years, the fishing industry in Odisha has risen at an average annual rate of 13%.
• In Odisha, there is a high need for fish. Around 94 %  of the state's 45 million residents eat fish. 
• Apart from that, fishing goods from Odisha are in high demand in worldwide markets.
• India's goal for the fisheries industry, which includes marine goods, is to generate Rs 1 lakh crore in income. By 2024-25, India wants to produce 22 million metric tonnes of fish.
• Every year on November 21, World Fisheries Day honours the efforts of fishermen, fish producers, and everyone involved in the fisheries trade across the world.