Skill Development in Aquarium Fabrication, Ornamental Fishkeeping, and Aquarium Maintenance

21st-23rd February 2024, Barabanki

ICAR-National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources, Lucknow, organised a 3-day Ornamental Fish Aquarium Pathshala under the Mission Navshakti initiative of the SCSP project, for developing skills in aquarium fabrication, aquarium assembly, and maintenance. The 3-day skill development programme from 21st to 23rd February 2024 was organised to engage women participants from various self-help groups of Uttar Pradesh.

Dr. U.K Sarkar, Director of ICAR-National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources
Dr. Poonam Jayant Singh, Nodal Officer SCSP, was present during the programme.

The women were trained in assembling and setting up aquariums, including components like filters, light, FRP cover, LED light, fishnet, and more. They also learned about designing and decorating aquariums with aesthetics, empowering them with life-long skills to benefit them in the future.

Women participated in a training program at the Ganga Aquarium in Lucknow, where they observed various fish species during an exposure visit. The women underwent a training program that focused on identifying, characterizing, and designing aquariums. The programme aimed to develop livelihood and entrepreneurship skills, enabling them to start earning income from their backyards through fishkeeping and rearing.

Mission Navshakti is a program aimed at training rural women to start their businesses and create job opportunities in the ornamental fish industry. The program aims to create a workforce that can meet the unmet needs of the industry, empowering women to be self-sufficient and create more job opportunities. The women and their families own small land holdings, providing minimal productivity. The use of backyard home space empowers women to generate income through ornamental fish rearing.

The Pathshala concept, part of the Scheduled Castes Sub Plan (SCSP) project, aims to empower and foster livelihood opportunities for women in the aquarium fish industry. The project aims to connect rural women with urban needs in the ornamental fish sector and create trained manpower in four villages. The new skills learned by women provide confidence for sustainable livelihood opportunities and economic independence. The main mission of the program, Mission Navshakti, is to create alternative income sources among rural women, transforming the dynamics of villages surrounding the Barabanki district.

The training aimed to empower women in Uttar Pradesh by providing a sustainable business model that can be replicated in other villages and districts. The program aimed to create a model ornamental fish village where women were exposed to the system and taught the art of fish rearing for market supply.

The goal of the event was to ensure surplus supply and non-dependence on distributors from other states.

(Source: ICAR-National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources, Lucknow)