For starting large-scale cage fish farming ventures, the Maharashtra government has sought technical support of the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute.
In a meeting held at the CMFRI headquarters here, Deepak Kesarkar, Minister of State for Finance, Planning and Home (Rural), Maharashtra, requested the authorities to provide technical guidance to launch 500 cage fish farming units in the brackish water resources of Sindhudurg, a coastal district.
The government, he said, will provide financial support to implement a model suited to the ecological and geographical conditions of the brackish water resources.
Kesarkar said, “The cage farming models being implemented by the CMFRI at Pizhala in Ernakulam district and in various parts of Mangaluru are highly successful. The Maharashtra government is much eager to emulate such models in Sindhudurg too as a better livelihood option for the coastal people.”
As per the decision taken in the meeting between the Maharashtra minister with the CMFRI authorities, a team from the Mariculture Division of CMFRI will visit Sindhudurg district to assess the ecological condition and carrying capacity of the water bodies prior to the launch of cage fish farming. The CMFRI team will also select ideal spots and suitable species for the farming. It will soon submit a detailed project proposal to the Maharashtra government after reviewing environmental and geographical aspects of the region.
Leena Bansod, Joint Managing Director, Maharashtra Small Scale Industries Corporation, invited the farmers to share their experiences with their Maharashtra counterparts so as to encourage them to take up cage fish farming enterprises.
The State also requested to help in formulating fishing regulation for Maharashtra and to provide technical support to oyster and mussel farmingIn addition to cage fish farming, the Maharashtra government also wanted CMFRI to provide technical support to set up backyard hatchery units of cobia and silver pompano to boost the farming ventures.
Source: https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/
