KOCHI: If all goes well, a multi-species eco hatchery for fin fish will be built at Bhoothathankettu by August 2015. On completion of the project, one crore fish fingerlings are expected to be produced from the facility in a year. The hatchery is being constructed under the National Mission for Protein Supplement (NMPS) scheme with a total cost of `6.05 cr. To make the project self-contained and economically viable, the hatchery will have all components and facilities for brood stock raising, egg production, hatching, rearing of spawn and fry and feed preparation.
The project is aimed at maximising the fish production in the state. State Fisheries Resource Management Society is the implementing agency for the project.
Out of the total project cost, `2.5 cr was sanctioned through NMPS project, `2 cr by the Ernakulam district panchayat and the state government will give `1.55 cr for the Eco-Hatchery. The state government has allotted `50 lakh for the project as its contribution in this financial year and the rest of the amount will be allotted next year. Earlier, the Kerala Agricultural University had set up a sample fish sanctuary at Kumarakom. The multi- species eco hatchery for fin fishes at Bhoothathankettu will be the first-of-its-kind in the state, it is learnt.
“The project is being implemented with the aim of conserving and enhancing the fin fish production in the state. Due to reclamation and human interference, the fish wealth in the state has been decreasing drastically. Without initiating the conservation of fishes, it is difficult to control the erosion,” said S Sahadevan, executive director, the State Fisheries Resource Management Society.The project also envisages to conserve the fishery resources in inland water bodies, conservation of indigenous varieties of fishes and to create awareness among the people on the need for the conservation of fishery resources, with the ultimate aim of increasing fish production.