Shri Pratap Chandra Sarangi visits ICAR-CIFRI Pen Demonstration Site at Rishia Reservoir, Balasore, Odisha

30^th September, 2020, Balasore

Shri Pratap Chandra Sarangi, Union Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying and Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises visited the ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Barrackpore, Kolkata’s Pen Demonstration Site at Rishia Reservoir, Balasore, Odisha today.

In his address, the Minister emphasized on the cooperation and unity among the fishers for their livelihood development. He also stressed on adopting the pen technology for producing enough amount of advanced fingerlings (80 - 100 mm fish seed) for stocking in the reservoir to enhance the production from the reservoir.

The Institute is demonstrating the ICAR-CIFRI Pen HDPE® Culture Technology in Rishia Reservoir for In-Situ advanced fingerling production and stocking in the reservoir. The reservoir has an area of 300 ha and 112 fishers are involved in active fishing from the reservoir.

The Institute has recommended for stocking more than 80 - 100 mm size of fish seed for higher production from the reservoir. As the cost of bigger size fish seeds are very high and also not available in high quantity in the market, the reasons fishers’ stock small size fish seed in the reservoir. For this, the Institute has developed a low-cost In-Situ fish seed production technology through the ICAR-CIFRI Pen HDPE for reservoirs and wetlands. The reservoir has been equipped with installation of two Pens of 0.1 ha.

The Minister released 32,000 fish seeds in the Pens. He also distributed the ICAR-CIFRI CAGEGROW® fish feed to the fishers for feeding in the Pen Culture.

In his welcome address, Dr. B.K. Das, Director, ICAR-CIFRI apprised the Minister about the Institute’s activities carried out in Odisha. He also stressed that the intervention will help in carrying out atleast 20 tonnes additional fish production from the reservoir.

Dr. Das released 80,000 fish seeds in 4 pens of Jalaswar Wetland in Paikasidha and Keshapura Villages. The demonstration will help to enhance the livelihoods of more than 300 families. The Director also released 40,000 fish seeds in Sunei Dam of Mayurbhanj District, Odisha benefitting 157 fishers of the reservoir.

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