BHUBANESWAR : Union Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Pratap Chandra Sarangi on Saturday advised the Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (CIFA) to devise a mechanism and tie up with different states and UTs for faster dissemination of aquaculture technologies.
The Minister interacted with scientists and urged them to develop technology packages to attract unemployed rural youth, develop entrepreneurship and contribute to realising the Prime Minister’s vision of doubling farmers’ income by 2022.
Reviewing various freshwater aquaculture research activities being carried out by CIFA, he underscored the need to develop sustainable technology for better production keeping the safety of environment in mind and to carry out result-oriented research. Sarangi also visited CIFA farm facilities and interacted with researchers working on Bio-floc, tilapia farming, genetically improved Rohu ‘Jayanti’ scampi, carps, minor carps, aquaponics, murrel, ornamental fish and feed mill.
He inaugurated the re-circulatory aquaculture system for murrel. CIFA Director Saroj Kumar Swain highlighted about the institute’s research accomplishments as well as progress on flagship schemes. “The institute has launched an official WhatsApp channel and started offering training programmes virtually. It has been planned to conduct 23 virtual training programmes on various aspects of freshwater aquaculture during January-March 2021,” he said.
The Minister released a set of 16 Odia leaflets on popular aquaculture technologies meant for creating awareness among the farmers about scientific aquaculture practices. Three e-booklets and one book titled ‘Actionable Strategies for Increasing the Freshwater Aquaculture Production in India’ were also released.
Fish seed ranching programme
CIFA in collaboration with Water Resources department organised a fish seed ranching programme in Jhumka dam in Khurda in order to replenish the depleting fish species in natural open water bodies. “If fish seeds can be released regularly, it will lead to productivity enhancement and per capita availability of the fish in the long run. It will also conserve and sustain the fish bio-diversity of the water body while improving the livelihood security of fishing community,” said Swain. As many 22,000 fingerlings of Labeo fimbriatus (Khursia) and Labeo calbasu (Kalabainsi) were released in Jhumka reservoir.