The fisheries development programme plays an important role in development of rural areas of Jharkhand, which has vast inland water recources. Fish serves to supplement the nutritional food requirement of the people, its production generates additional employment opportunities and thus improve the income level in rural areas. It has also been realised that fisheries development could be used as a tool for bringing about socio-economic change amongst the rural farming community by providing fish production as a main / subsidiary source of occupation.

The vast inland fisheries recouces in the State of Jharkhand are in the form of ponds, bandhs, reservoirs and lakes covering a total area of about 74,200 hectares scattred all over the State particularly in rural areas. The Jharkhand state lags far behind the national level of fish production in spite of quite suitable agro-climatic conditions.thus against the national average of 2150 kg/hectare/year, the present level of fish production in Jharkahnd is about 900 kg/hectare/year.The main reason for this poor performance is that most of the tanks are very old and practically unsuitable for fish culture due to heavy siltation and weed infestation. This production level can be increased to 2500 kg / hectare / year by adopting intensive fish culture techniques. At present the fish production from reservoirs is less then 5 kg / hectare / year which is required to be raised to a sustainable level of about 20 to 25 kg / hectare / year in 10th five-year plan. Assuuming that the base level of production of 50 thousand metric tonnes during 9th five-year plan is to be raised by another 50 thousand metric tonnes during the 10th five-year plan, the following strategy is proposed to be adopted :

• To extend modern technology of mixed carp culture and seed production to the ponds and reservoirs.
• To strengthen rural economy by engaging more rural people in fish farming.
• To involve financing institutions effectively for providing loans to fish farmers for renovation of ponds and excavation of new ponds and water logged areas to bring more areas under fish culture and for essential pisciculture material like seed, manure, inputs, etc.
• To encourage local fish farmers to take up trade of fish seed production in private sector to meet the demands of quality fish seeds.
• To give special stress on raising the socio-economic condition of tribals by adopting pisciculture-oriented schemes.
• To provide basic civic amenities like housing, drinking water and community hall for recreation to fish farmers on a cluster basis.
• To impart training to fish farmers in improved techniques of fish rearing and seed production and also to arrange for demonstration of these techniques in selected goverment fish farms.