10 March 2026, Goa
As part of the research and capacity-building mandate under the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-funded project titled ‘Building capacity for climate change adaptation in Smallholder Fish Farming’ at ICAR-Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute, Old Goa, an Inter-State Training cum Exposure Visit was organized today.
The event was conducted with the objective of exposing fishermen to improved aquaculture practices and technologies that could help enhance productivity and income, and 20 active fishermen accompanied by the Assistant Director of Fisheries, Honnavara visited the institute.
The programme commenced with a comprehensive technical presentation on the theme “Coastal Aquaculture Practices and Technologies”, providing a structured overview of the institute’s key research activities and extension initiatives in the field of aquaculture. The presentation highlighted efforts towards developing sustainable aquaculture technologies and emphasized the importance of scientific management practices for enhancing production and profitability.
An interactive session was also conducted with visiting fishermen, where insights on aquaculture management and ongoing research activities were shared. During the discussion, the fishermen raised several concerns related to challenges in their farming practices, particularly disease outbreaks in seabass cage culture and parasite-related issues.
Addressing these concerns, participants were advised to maintain optimum stocking density in cages and avoid overcrowding, which often leads to disease incidence. Emphasis was also laid on selecting sites with adequate water depth and maintaining proper spacing between cages to ensure better water circulation and a healthy culture environment. Additionally, the importance of value addition in fish and fishery products was highlighted as a means to enhance income and improve market returns.
Later, the visiting fishermen were taken for a field exposure visit to the aquaculture demonstration facilities at ICAR-CCARI. During the visit, they were introduced to various aquaculture systems and technologies practiced at the institute, including aquaculture pond systems, floating crab barrel culture, duck-cum-fish cage culture, hapa-based nursery rearing techniques, Pangas catfish (Pangasius pangasius) culture and the real-time AI-based water quality monitoring system. The farmers showed keen interest in these technologies and actively interacted with the scientists during the field visit to understand their practical applications. The programme provided an opportunity for the fishermen to gain first-hand knowledge of innovative aquaculture technologies and management practices.
(Source: ICAR-Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute, Goa)
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