KOCHI: Coastal aquaculture in Kerala is all set to get a major boost from the cage fish farming model being popularised across the state under the technical guidance of the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI).
Even many people from the non-farming community have turned to this less-expensive fish farming model after getting the technical and capacity enhancement training from the CMFRI.
After the training, the participants hailing from different parts of the state have started farming of commercially important fish varieties such as pearl spot, sea bass, red snapper, tilapia and giant trevally in the brackish and fresh water bodies in their respective regions.
Besides Ernakulam, where the maximum number of cage farming enterprises are in operation, the initiative has been started in six other districts - Kannur, Malappuram, Thrissur, Alappuzha, Kottayam and Kollam.
It was the success story of cage fish farming venture at Pizhala in Ernakulam that attracted more people, including non-farmers, into the cage farming culture, said Imelda Joseph, head of Mariculture Division. “There are around 100 farming units on Pizhala Island, being operated under the guidance of CMFRI,” she said.