The State has a demand of about 545 metric tonnes of fish, on an average, per day. The State produces around 500 mt of fish and it imports around 45 mt of fish every day, on an average. Fisheries Minister Nurjamal Sarkar disclosed this in reply to a question of Girindra Kumar Barua (AGP). He also told the House that on the 45 MTs of fish it imports, the State has to spend Rs 23 lakh per day. The State has 3.90 lakh hectares of water area favourable for fish production. Of it, the individual and public tanks cover 38,767 hectares, while the beels comprise 1,00,815 hectares, rivers comprise 2,05,000 hectares, forests comprise 5,015 hectares, abandoned water bodies comprise 39,240 hectares and other water bodies comprise 1,713 hectares, the Minister said. All these water bodies are more or less serving as the fish production centres. During 2006-07, the State could produce 1.81 lakh MTs of fish. The Fish Development Corporation of the State Fisheries Department has been earning profit since 2002-03. But in 2001-02, it incurred a loss of Rs 34,96,895.62. According to the Minister, the Corporation could earn a profit of Rs 8,99,003.52 in 2002-03 and in the following year, its profit rose to Rs 14,14,173.80. Between 2004-05 and 2007-08, it could make a cumulative profit of Rs 77,00,230.