The Hindu Business Line : TN panel on inland fisheries set up

THE Tamil Nadu Government has constituted an expert committee to enhance exploitation of inland fisheries, establish fish tanks and ponds, and enhance infrastructure.

The Committee to be headed by the State Fisheries Director will look at improving pond design to enhance efficiency, according to a Government order.

The move is in line with the Fisheries Development Mission announced recently by the Government. The mission aims to develop fisheries and aquaculture on a sustainable basis to enhance the contribution of this sector to the economy and augment income in rural areas.

The Government is looking at integrated fish farming in tanks and ponds, which contribute to the freshwater resource, estimated to cover about 1,58,100 hectares.

According to official information, about 4,000 hectares is under composite fish culture of Indian carps such as Catla, Rohu and Mrigal, apart from Chinese carps such as Grass Carp and Silver Carp. The objective will be to integrate freshwater prawn in composite fish culture practices in perennial ponds and tanks to enable fish farmers to raise commercially important species along with these carp varieties. The idea is to bring under improved system of cultivation the 4,000 hectares under carps, thereby enabling enhanced revenues. The potential would enable production of about 2,400 tonnes of scampi valued at about Rs 36 crore during the five years.

Through another mission programme, the Government is looking at an integrated approach to reservoir fisheries development. The programme will undertake scientific development of major, medium and small reservoirs, which cover about 25,000 hectares of freshwater area. Through improved technology, providing infrastructure for harvest and post-harvest and human resource development, the aim would be to increase fish yield to about 50 kg per hectare per year in the major reservoirs which now produce about 20 kg, according to the mission report.

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