Ornamental Fish Breeding and Culture Launched

In a major effort to develop the ornamental fish industry in the country, an all India network project on ornamental fish breeding and culture was launched by Dr J K Jena, Deputy Director General (Fisheries and Animal Sciences), ICAR at the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute today. The joint research initiative is mainly aimed at developing adequate technologies in breeding, seed production and culture of freshwater and marine ornamental species and helping maintain the sustainability of the industry. Seven ICAR fisheries research institutes are partnering in the project with the ICAR-CMFRI being the leading institute.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. J K Jena stressed the need for having a strong linkage between researchers and industry partners in the ornamental fish sector in the country to utilize the potential resources available in India. He also said that the network research project would address the issues being faced by the ornamental fish industry in India.

The project envisages scores of objectives including the development of ornamental fish villages with strong marketing ties.  The project focuses on developing a value chain approach from seed collection, culture and export of various ornamental varieties by ensuring environmental and socio-economic sustainability, product quality and overseas access to the ornamental fish industry in India. Technology for ornamental fish breeding and culture, a major thrust of the project, would provide additional income to rural and urban people as well and generate employment opportunities. Establishment of regional hatchery units and satellite hatcheries under public-private partnership (PPP) mode is one of the expected outcomes of the project.

The ICAR research institutes namely, Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (CIFA, Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute (CIFRI); National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources (NBFGR); Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture (CIBA); Central Institute of Fisheries Education (CIFE); and Directorate of Coldwater Fishery Research (DCFR) are the other partners in the network project.

Dr. A Gopalakrishnan, Director of ICAR-CMFRI, Dr. C N Ravishankar, Director of ICAR-CIFT, Dr. Debajit Sarma, Director of ICAR-DCFR, Bhimtal, Dr. Imelda Joseph and Dr K Madhu also spoke on the occasion.