The ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Research Station, Kochi has successfully demonstrated the culture of Black Clam, Villorita cyprinoides in the CIFRI HDPE CRPS (Climate-Resilient Pen System) installed and adapted at the Vembanad Lake in Thycattussery Village, Alappuzha District, Kerala. The Institute harvested the Clam on 25th February, 2022 under the NICRA Project. The Pen was installed and stocked with Black Clams in collaboration with Thycattussery Black Clam Industrial Co-operative Society having about 1,200 active Fishers as its Members.
The CRPS was stocked with the wild collected Clam Seeds (TL: 1 Cm; Average Weight: 1 Gm) at the rate of 2.9 Kgs per Sq. Mtr. A total of 460 Kgs of Clam Seeds were stocked in a Pen of 160 Sq. Mtr. area anticipating a harvest of nearly 3 Tonnes. The complete harvesting done on 25th February, 2022 yielded 4.89 Tonnes amounting to nearly Rs. 85,000.
The Clams achieved an average final weight of 40 Gms. The women and men clam collectors actively participated in the harvest programme. The successful demonstration proved that the Clam Culture can be taken-up as an alternate livelihood option or as a switch over livelihood option for the inland open water fishers associated with the Vembanad Lake.
(Source: ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Barrackpore, Kolkata)
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