Turbulent weather condition in the sea washed ashore a cage in Bay of Bengal where the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute is conducting its experimental fish culture project  The Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute’s (CMFRI) experimental fish culture project has hit a stumbling block that came in the guise of turbulent weather and washed ashore a cage used to culture fishes in Bay of Bengal. The cage was culturing nearly 20,000 Asian Sea Bass seedlings, which are popularly known as Pandugappalu. While many were washed away, some could be recovered. This year, following a high survival rate, CMFRI scientists were hopeful of a high yield from the cage that was washed away, which is one of many such cages in Bay of Bengal where fishes are being cultured. It forms a part of the local centre of CMFRI’s attempt to culture fishes.
According to CMFRI officials, it would take almost 20 days to repair the cage measuring 17 metres in diameter. Also, CMFRI would check the cage’s moorings’ stability to ensure zero damage in future.
Fish cages, culture: Concept
Fish cages refer to enclosed space in the sea with normal tidal variations. Post-breeding, fishes are left in those cages for growing in normal environment. The fishes are provided food once they reach a certain growth level.
“Fish culture ensures better quality fishes as they are fed well and there are hardly any chances of contamination of sea water, rendering the water bacteria-free. The concept is at an inception stage in India and has not even developed anywhere close to the world standard. Moreover, the cages used for fish culture need a lot of care and monitoring to prevent damages due to turbulent weather conditions. Therefore, a lot needs to be done in this regard,” says Anwar Hashim, president of Seafood Exporters Association of India, in an interview with a Food Processing360 correspondent.
Bottlenecks
Inadequacy of raw materials like shrimps, which are used to feed fishes, is posing problems for fishermen. In this regard, Prabhat kumar, executive director of a mid-sized company Digha Seafood Exports in Kolkata, says, “We cannot buy the raw materials directly from the farms. Instead, we have to buy the same from the middlemen, who charge more for less quantity.”
Future of fish culture
Scientists from all over the country and especially in the delta region are trying to help poor fishermen with fish culture by turning unused ponds into fish farms as well as by improving methods of fish farming in the existing ponds, which have resulted in a significant increase in fish production.
Shalmoli Kundu |
