KOCHI: The Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) has kick-started a major project for boosting the open sea cage farming in Indian waters, setting the stage for a Blue Revolution. Training will be given to 5000 fishers across the country with the financial support of nearly Rs 1 crore from the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) under the ministry of agriculture. The initiative is being taken up to bolster the mariculture activities in the country in the wake of stagnation in the capture fishery.
The CMFRI has started the first phase to train fishers in all the maritime states on open sea cage farming. A three-day training programme began at the CMFRI in Kochi on Monday. As many as 50 fishers from Ernakulam and Thrissur districts registered with the Kerala Fishermen's Welfare Fund Board are attending the training. As part of the project, CMFRI will provide training to 1000 fishers in Kerala.
CMFRI director Dr A. Gopalakrishnan said the cage fish farming technology has proved 70 times more productive than the normal methods of farming in ponds. "Conventional pond culture of marine fishes produce an average 0.5 kg/m3 (5000 kg/ha) whereas cage farming offers a production of 35 kg/m3", he said.
Referring to the scarcity of the fish seed required for boosting cage fish farming, he said CMFRI has already commenced works to establish a brood bank of high-value marine fishes suitable to the cage farming with the financial support of Rs 9 crore from the NFDB. Dr Imelda Joseph, the head of mariculture division, said species such as cobia, seabass, groupers, snappers, mullet, lobster and pearl spot are highly suitable for cage farming in saline waters.
