Union Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying visits India’s First Private Hatchery M/s. MSR Aqua Private Limited

14^th June, 2022

Shri L. Murugan, Union Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying and Information & Broadcasting visited the M/s. M.S.R. Aqua Private Limited, a Multi-Species Marine Fish Hatchery at Konapapapeta, Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh here today.

A Shrimp Hatchery, the MSR hatchery is the first Private Hatchery in India that was suitably modified with the technical guidance of the Mandapam Regional Centre of the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute to suit the Marine Finfish Seed Production under the National Fisheries Development Board, Hyderabad’s Project on “Enhancing Production of Farmed Cobia (Rachycentron canadum) through the Establishment of Broodbank and supply of larvae to States for Seed Production”.

The Minister was accompanied by Smt. Vanga Geetha, Member of Parliament, Kakinada Constituency and Smt. C. Suvarna, I.F.S., Chief Executive, NFDB, Hyderabad.

The Institute’s Mandapam Regional Centre provided the technical support for the successful operation and seed production. The Hatchery can produce a maximum of 10 Million Seeds in a cycle and was recently felicitated with the Best Hatchery Award on 21^st November, 2021 on the occasion of the World Fisheries Day. The Hatchery currently has stock of Seeds of Seabass, Silver Pompano and Indian Pompano.

Dr. A.K. Abdul Nazar, Principal Scientist, ICAR-CMFRI, Kochi & Principal Investigator of the Project apprised the Minister and the other dignitaries about the activities of the Hatchery.

(Source: ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Kochi, Kerala)