KOCHI: The Maharashtra Government has sought the technical support of the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) for starting large-scale cage fish farming ventures.In a meeting held at CMFRI headquarters in Kochi, Deepak Kesarkar, the Finance, Planning and Home (Rural) Minister of Maharashtra, urged CMFRI authorities to provide technical guidance to launch 500 cage fish farming units in brackish water resources in Sindhudurg, a coastal district in Maharashtra.Kesarkar said the Maharashtra Government will provide financial support for implementing a suitable cage farming model in accordance with the ecological and geographical conditions of the brackish water resources in the region.
“Cage farming models implemented by CMFRI at Pizhala in Ernakulam and in Mangaluru are highly successful. The Maharashtra Government is eager to emulate such models in Sindhudurg as a better livelihood option for the coastal populace,” Kesarkar said. Joint managing director of Maharashtra Small Scale Industries Corporation Leena Bansod visited the cage farming sites at Pizhala, an island village in Ernakulam. She interacted with the farmers and invited them to Maharashtra to share their experiences with farmers there.
As per the decision taken in the meeting, a team from the Mariculture Division of the CMFRI will visit Sindhudurg to assess the ecological conditions and carrying capacity of water bodies before launching cage fish farming. The team will also select ideal spots and suitable species for farming. CMFRI will soon submit a detailed project proposal to the Maharashtra Government after reviewing the environmental and geographical aspects of the region.
Kesarkar also wanted CMFRI to provide technical support to set up backyard hatchery units of cobia and silver pompano in the district. He urged the institute to help formulate fishing regulation for Maharashtra and provide technical support for oyster and mussel farming.
Maharashtra Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests N Vasudevan participated in the talks on behalf of the Maharashtra Government at the meeting. CMFRI Mariculture division head Imelda Joseph, Fishery Resources Assessment division head T V Sathianandan, Marine Biodiversity division’s K K Joshi, Demersal Fisheries division head P U Zacharia and principal scientists A P Dineshbabu and C Ramachandran were present.