SAMBALPUR: In an attempt to boost fish production in Hirakud Dam’s reservoir, five Fishermen’s Co-operative Societies (PFCS) will adopt cage farming techniques with the help of Fisheries department. The societies, which will turn to this new method, include PFCS of Mahanadi and Mohammadpur in Sambalpur; Banrepat and Chourasi in Jharsuguda and Tamdei PFCS of Bargarh district.
Sharing details, Deputy Director of Fisheries (Sambalpur zone) Pabitra Kumar Behera said 50 cages, each measuring five metres in length, five metres in width and four metres in depth and a floating storage shed would be installed in the reservoir. Each PFCS will get to breed fishes in 10 cages. The cost of installation for 10 cages has been estimated at about Rs 25 lakh.
The cages will be covered with mesh nets made of synthetic material that can resist decomposition in water for longer period. “A manufacturer from Uttar Pradesh has been selected to instal the cages by the end of August,” Behera added.The officer said fingerlings of fast-growing species like Pangasius, Tilapia, Koi, Amur Carp and Chital would be released into the cages. “At least 3,000 fingerlings will be released into each cage. It is expected that one cage will produce about 30 quintals of fishes in seven to eight months. Thus, each PFCS will produce about 300 quintals of fishes from 10 cages and earn `15 lakh,” he added.
The Fisheries department will sign an agreement with each of the societies to carry out fish farming for at least five years. Each PFCS will have to deposit `25,000 in the first year.Earlier, the department had introduced cage fish farming in the reservoir in 2013 with installation of 28 cages and floating storage sheds at an estimated cost of around Rs 47 lakh. The cage fish farming is being undertaken on Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode now.