Cage farming in Hirakud from Nov 20

Five Primary Fishermen’s Cooperative Societies (PFCS) will start cage fish farming in the Hirakud Dam Reservoir (HDR) from November 20 with support from the Fisheries Department.
Cages at Hirakud dam reservoir | Express
Cages at Hirakud dam reservoir | Express

SAMBALPUR: Five Primary Fishermen’s Cooperative Societies (PFCS) will start cage fish farming in the Hirakud Dam Reservoir (HDR) from November 20 with support from the Fisheries Department. It is aimed at boosting fish production in the HDR.

The cooperative societies are Mahanadi PFCS and Mohammadpur PFCS in Sambalpur district, Banrepat PFCS and Chourasi PFCS in Jharsuguda district besides Tamdei PFCS in Bargarh district. 

Deputy Director of Fisheries, Sambalpur zone, Pabitra Kumar Behera said work on installation of 20 cages of two PFCS including Mahanadi and Mohammadpur PFCS in Sambalpur has already been completed. Work on the installation of cages for Banrepat and Chourasi PFCS in Jharsuguda and Tamdei PFCS in Bargarh is underway and will be completed before November 20. A Varanasi-based cage manufacturer is installing the cages in the HDR, he said. 

Official sources said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will inaugurate the project through video conferencing on November 20.

Altogether 50 cages will be installed in the HDR for the five PFCS. The cage is enclosed on all sides with mesh netting made from synthetic material. Apart from installation of 10 cages for each PFCS, floating storage shed is also being installed at an estimated cost of ` 25 lakh for each PFCS.

Behera informed that fingerlings of fast-growing fish varieties - Pangasius, Tilapia, Koi, Amur Carp and Chital - will be released into the cages. At least 3,000 fingerlings will be released into each cage and one cage will produce 30 quintals of fish within a period of seven to eight months. Each PFCS will produce about 300 quintals of fish from the 10 cages and generate revenue of `15 lakh.

The Fisheries Department will enter into an agreement with each PFCS to carry out cage fish farming for five years. 

Cage fish farming was introduced in the HDR in 2013 with installation of 28 cages in the reservoir and it is being undertaken on public private partnership mode now.

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