KOZHIKODE: Malabar’s only pisciculture centre has resumed operation after lying dormant for years. The renovated fresh water pisciculture centre at Kallanod near Perambra was inaugurated by fisheries minister J. Mercykutty Amma on Sunday. The centre has the capacity to produce 50 lakh fingerlings per year. Rs 4.1 crore has been spent for the renovation. The centre was started in 1996 under the aegis of Peruvannamuzhi scheduled caste fishermen cooperative society. The aim was to produce fingerlings for Kozhikode and neighbouring districts for fish farming.
A fisheries park is the next dream in the pipeline and an estimated proposal of Rs 15 crore has been submitted. Efforts are on to acquire an additional 2.5 acres of land from the irrigation department for development. Speaking after inauguration, the minister said that the government aims to increase the fingerling production in the state to 12.5 crore in the next five years. “At present the state’s production capacity is 5 crore fingerlings. It was 2.5 crore when the government assumed charge. The farmers are bringing fingerlings from Andhra Pradesh for pisciculture. This should be changed,” she pointed.
Ms Mercykutty Amma added that renovation works to the tune of Rs 21 crore has been granted for Vellayil harbour and '14 crore each to Puthiyappa and Tanur harbours. Purushan Kadalundi, MLA, M.K Raghavan, MP, Harbour Engineeri-ng department Chief Engineer P.K. Anil Kumar and others spoke.
