DDG (Fisheries Science), ICAR Reviews Progress of National Flagship Research Projects at ICAR-CIBA, Chennai

30 June 2026, Chennai

Dr J.K. Jena, Deputy Director General (Fisheries Science), ICAR, visited the ICAR-Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture, Chennai, to review the progress of the institute's ongoing national flagship research projects.

Dr Kuldeep K. Lal, Director, ICAR-CIBA, presented a comprehensive overview of the progress achieved under each project, highlighting the key milestones and accomplishments.

During the visit, Dr Jena inaugurated the bio-secured Genome Editing Laboratory at the Hatchery Complex, Muttukadu. The state-of-the-art facility is expected to facilitate the development of gene-edited commercially important fish species for enhanced growth and production. He also inaugurated the Seabass Modular Hatchery established under the Department of Science and Technology (DST)-funded project titled "Entrepreneurship and Cluster Farming Model to Empower Coastal Communities and Increase Productivity and Value Chain of High-Value Fish."

Dr Jena further inaugurated the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB)-funded Super-Intensive Precision and Natural Shrimp Farming (SIPNSF) facility and stocked nursery-produced shrimp juveniles into 1,000-tonne HDPE grow-out tanks.

Later, he interacted with scientists, entrepreneurs, and beneficiaries associated with ICAR-CIBA's livelihood development initiatives. During the interaction, he released two ornamental aquatic species—Porcelain Crab (Petrolisthes monodi) and Mangrove Pipefish (Ichthyocampus carce)—bred under the ICAR-funded All India Network Project on Ornamental Fish Breeding and Culture. He also witnessed the supply of the first batch of hatchery-produced ornamental crabs and pipefish to VGP Marine Kingdom, an internationally renowned public marine aquarium.

As part of the interaction meeting, six Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) were signed for establishing SIPNSF projects with M/s. Mayank Aquaculture Pvt. Ltd., Gujarat, and M/s. Poseidon Enterprises, Gujarat.

A collaborative initiative was also launched with the start-up company Ignit Technical Solutions Pvt. Ltd., Chennai for the joint development of an automated fish waste processing machine. The proposed technology aims to enable the safe disposal of fish market waste while facilitating the production of value-added products.

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed with M/s. Uday Aqua Connects Pvt. Ltd., Hyderabad, for establishing an integrated seabass and seaweed Aquapark facility in Andhra Pradesh. Another MoU was signed with M/s. Aditya Aqua Agencies, Andhra Pradesh, for the establishment of seabass and mud crab hatcheries in the presence of Dr Jena and Dr Lal.

A licence agreement was also signed with M/s. D-Nome Pvt. Ltd., Telangana, for the commercial production of 'CIBA EHP Onsite Detect', a pond-side diagnostic kit for the rapid detection of the shrimp pathogen Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei (EHP). The diagnostic kit enables disease detection within 10–15 minutes at the farm site without the need for expensive laboratory infrastructure.

Under the institute's outreach initiatives, Dr Jena released a booklet titled "Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on Seed Production and Farming of Pearlspot" for the benefit of brackishwater aquaculture farmers.

Dr Jena also participated in the valedictory function of the 'Khet Bachao Abhiyan' organised by ICAR-CIBA. During the month-long awareness campaign, farmers were sensitised on the location-specific balanced use of fertilizers to improve soil fertility and crop productivity, promoting sustainable agriculture through the application of PlanktonPlus and HortiPlus, two products developed by ICAR-CIBA.

(Source: ICAR-Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture, Chennai)