Indian fisheries occupied third position in global scenario in terms of production of fish which is 4.4 percent of global fish production. According to a government release issued in New Delhi, the contribution of fisheries sector is 1.10 percent to the total GDP and 5.3 percent to the agricultural GDP. Fishery sector has emerged as the largest group in agricultural export of India. India exports 5.20 lakh tonnes of fisheries worth Rs. 8363 crore. The sector employs 14 million of the population.The meeting of the Fish Processing Development Council was held under the chairmanship of Secretary, Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Mr. Ashok Sinha today. He pointed that there exists a huge gap between the total fish production in the country and its processing for domestic consumption and export. During the course of the meeting, it was felt that there is a need to strengthen the existing Council for making it more effective to give a much needed boost to the fish processing sector.Keeping in view the vast potential for fish processing to cater to the domestic market and supplement the export of processing sea foods, the members approved the proposal to convert the existing Council into National Fish Processing Development Board.