“Fish production can be boosted by farmer friendly technologies”

The minister of state for agriculture and farmers welfare, Mr Sudharshan Bhagat made the remarks as he inaugurated recirculating aquaculture system facility at ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute at Cochin

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New Delhi: Mr Sudarshan Bhagat, Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare inaugurated the Recirculating Aquaculture System (ARS) at the Vizhinjam Research Centre of ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister said farmer-friendly technologies should be developed to attract people into fish farming. “In order to solve the issues in the fisheries sector following the decline in the availability fishes from the sea, steps should be taken to improve the facilities and technologies for boosting the fish production through alternative ways”, he added.

He said mariculture practices should be given due importance to increase marine fish production. “Sea cage farming is one of the best alternatives to increase the fish production and improve fisheries sector”, he said lauding the CMFRI for its initiatives to popularise the technology of cage farming across the coastal states.

In addition, farming of ornamental fishes, oysters and molluscs should also be promoted among the farmers by giving training to them, Mr Bhagat said. He visited hatcheries and marine aquarium at the CMFRI.

The recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) was set up at the ICAR-CMFRI to boost the seed production of commercially important marine fishes. The RAS, which filters water inside the fish tank helping to reuse the water, will be beneficial to the brood stock development of marine fishes. The CMFRI set up an RAS tank with a capacity of 30,000 litres, with an aim to popularise the sea cage farming to increase the production of marine species.

According to Dr A Gopalakrishnan, Director of CMFRI, the newly installed RAS facility at the CMFRI could accelerate the growth of mariculture in the country.  He said sea cage farming of commercially important fish species such as silver pompano, cobia, groupers, lobsters etc. would help the country to increase its blue economy.

(Source: ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Cochin)