KOCHI: To develop the ornamental fish sector in the country, an all India network project on ornamental fish breeding and culture in collaboration with seven fisheries research institutes was launched here on Saturday.
The joint research initiative was mainly aimed at developing adequate technologies in breeding, seed production, and culture of freshwater and marine ornamental species. Seven fisheries research institutes under Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi, are partnering in the project with the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) as the lead institute, an official release said.
ICAR Deputy Director General J K Jena stressed the need for having a strong link between researchers and industry partners in the ornamental fish sector in the country to utilise the potential resources available in India.
“Though the potential for the development of ornamental fish trade in India is immense, proper mechanism is yet to be established to boost both the overseas and domestic trade of the varieties,” the release quoted the deputy director.
As per the release, the project envisages scores of objectives, including the development of ornamental fish villages with strong marketing ties. The Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (CIFA) in Bhubaneswar, Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute (CIFRI) in Barrackpore; National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources (NBFGR), Lucknow; Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture (CIBA), Chennai; Central Institute of Fisheries Education (CIFE), Mumbai; and Directorate of Coldwater Fishery Research (DCFR) in Bhimtal, Uttarakhand, are the other research institutes involved in the network project. A Gopalakrishnan, Director of CMFRI, C N Ravishankar, Director of CIFT, Debajit Sarma, Director of DCFR, Bhimtal, Imelda Joseph and K Madhu spoke on the occasion.