CHENNAI: None, who has seen the 2003 Hollywood animation film ‘Finding Nemo’, will forget its orange-striped protagonist, a father clownfish, who is trying to find his son Nemo. Come to Pichavaram in a few months, and you will find not one, but many a ‘Nemo’ in the backyard of some Irula houses.
Thanks to a project by the National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources (NBFGR), about 250 Irula women in the village will soon be able to earn a livelihood from rearing clownfish. Through this, illegal collection of the ornamental fish from coral reefs can also be checked. The Central Department of Science and Technology (DST) has allocated Rs 1.65 crore for the project likely to roll out in June.
“NBFGR will provide expertise and facility to Irula women to rear this high-value species. The project will not only ensure livelihood for these women but will also help in wildlife conservation,” said Kuldeep K Lal, director of NBFGR.
He said the ornamental clownfishes, sold for Rs 150-Rs 300 apiece in the market, are often illegally collected from coral reefs. “The illegal collection of clownfish continues unabated despite forest department taking several measures to check it. The initiative will help in checking it to a great extent,” said Lal.
Low-cost technology to help breed clownfish in low-alkaline ecosystem
A team of scientists and researchers was formed to carry out the project in Pichavaram, and it will be supported by the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF). The foundation, which has been working with fishermen and the tribal community in the area after the 2004 tsunami, will aid in selecting and convincing beneficiaries.
TT Ajith Kumar, Principal Scientist at the NBFGR, who is overseeing the project, said the institute developed a low-cost technology to breed marine ornamental fish. Initially, the hatchery will function inside an existing lab at the Annamalai University, and later, a separate facility will be set up in Pichavaram mangrove region, said Kumar.
“We developed the technology to breed clownfish in low-alkaline water, and will also establish an indigenous re-circulatory aquaculture system (RAS) to ensure that there will be no wastage of water. We will breed and rear the fish for a month and supply the month-old babies to the Irula women.
They will rear them for two more months after which it will be sold in the market,” said Kumar. The women will be provided hands-on training on rearing the fish, and the institute will help in creating rearing facilities in their backyards.