MAYILADUTHURAI: In a joint effort, researchers of the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) and the National Bureau of Fish Genetics Resources (ICAR-NBFGR) on Tuesday produced carp seeds in a portable fish hatchery at MSSRF's Fish for All Research and Training Centre in Poompuhar in Mayiladuthurai district.
Meanwhile, the researchers distributed around 10,000 seeds (fish fingerlings) of carp fishes such as rohu, mrigal and catla to as many as 15 farmers from Sirkazhi and Sembanarkoil blocks under the Scheduled Caste Sub Plan (SCSP) Scheme. Dr S Velvizhi, the head of the MSSRF Fish for All Centre, said, "We have acquired carps from rivers such as Kollidam and bred them under controlled conditions.
The seeds produced, therefore, will have better growth characteristics." According to experts, fish farmers in Mayiladuthurai district tend to buy fish seeds (fish fingerlings) from hatcheries in other districts and other states in bulk. Apart from costing them for transportation, the mortality is also high due to stress induced in containment in bags for long time periods during transportation.
Besides these risks, the seeds are bred out of far less controlled conditions in hatcheries and thus have restricted growth characteristics. Realising the need to provide controlled conditions for breeding such as temperature, pressure, oxygen concentration, salinity, light and turbidity, the MSSRF and the ICAR-NBFGR, last year, introduced the mobile hatchery in Poompuhar.
It contains separate components for breeding, incubation, spawn collection and nesting for a period of 15 days. The farmers need to culture them further in their farms for about eight months till the harvest. ICAR-NBFGR Director Dr U K Sarkar, presiding over the event on Tuesday, said,
"Quality seeds are important in enhancing the production and thereby doubling the income of the farmers." NBFGR scientists Dr TT Ajith Kumar and Dr A Kathirvelpandian briefed the farmers on culturing fish. "Quality in breeding will have long-lasting advantages. We are also providing feed for farmers since they said the feed expenditure becomes expensive during the initial days," Dr Ajith Kumar said.