ICAR-CIFRI demonstrates Pen Culture in two Wetlands of West Bengal under SCSP Programme

21st February 2021

The ICAR-CIFRI adopted Sindrani and Duma Wetlands located in the bordering areas of Indo-Bangladesh Border in West Bengal under the Scheduled Caste Sub Plan Programme for demonstrating the Pen Culture for the production enhancement. The Sindrani and Duma having an area of 46 ha and 227 ha areas, respectively are horse-shoe shaped wetlands disconnected from River Ichhamati. The Wetlands are low productive and managed by the primary co-operative societies.

A total of 271 and 934 fishers were registered to the Sindrani and Duma Wetland Cooperatives, respectively. The Institute signed a Memonrandum of Understanding (MoU) with the two Wetlands Cooperatives for the demonstration programme. As per the MoU, the fishers were provided with coracle, CIFRI pen HDPE®, CIFRI Cagegrow® fish feed, etc. The pens were erected with community participation in both the wetlands.

The Institute organized a Scientists’-Fishers’-Interaction at Sindrani today. The major problems of the Wetlands development were discussed with more than 50 fishers during the occasion.

Encouraging the fishers for pen culture, Dr. B.K. Das, Director, ICAR-CIFRI, Barrackpore, Kolkata outlined the beneficial impacts of pen culture for production enhancement from the Wetland.

Around 60,000 fish seeds were stocked in the pens of Sindrani Wetlands with a target of additional 30 tonnes production from the Wetland. The other aspects and strategies for production enhancement from the reservoir were also discussed.

A total of 52 fishers participated in a meeting held at Duma Wetland. The key steps for the production enhancement approaches from the Wetland were also discussed during the occasion.

Dr. Das released 90,000 fish seeds in the pens of Duma Wetland with the target of additional 40 to 50 tonnes from the pen culture demonstration. In his address, he stressed on the community participation and cooperation for the success of any intervention. Dr. Das also highlighted the importance of pen culture for In-Situ raising the fish seeds in the Wetland and its role in production enhancement.

The ICAR-CIFRI intervention will help in improving the livelihoods of 1,205 fishers of both the Wetlands. The ICAR-CIFRI Pen HDPE® and ICAR-CIFRI Cagegrow® are the registered trademarks of ICAR and the two technologies were commercialized in 2018.

(Source: ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Barrackpore, Kolkata)