Harvesting of Etroplus suratensis from climate resilient culture based fisheries associated with Vembanad lake, Vyppin, Kerala

30 September 2022, Kochi

The ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Kochi centre conducted a fish harvesting programme at Ochanthuruthu, Vypin with the help of a group of SC beneficiaries (under NICRA SCSP programme) in which 25 fishers attended the programme. The programme was implemented under the guidance of Dr. B. K. Das, Director, ICAR-CIFRI and coordinated by Dr. U.K. Sarkar, P.I NICRA project. The aim of the programme was to improve the adaptability of the climate resilient technology and to boost fish production.

About 6,000 seeds of climate resilient fish species viz. Etroplus suratensis and Liza sp. were stocked and reared in the climate resilient culture based fisheries (CRCBF) pond on 9th September 2021. This multi species stocking system using E. suratensis and Liza sp. ensured complete utilization of the niche of the ecosystem. Nearly 60 kg of climate resilient species and 22 kg of minor fish varieties worth ₹ 37,000 were harvested from the CRCBF technology of which Etroplus sp. earned an amount of ₹ 30,000 alone. Through this CRCBF technology, the fishermen made a profit of ₹ 6,870 which is around 23% of the annualized return.

The benefit-cost ratio (1.2) of this CRCBF programme clearly indicates that the extensive farming based CRCBF can be adopted along a wetland in a climate changing scenario. It ensures culture based returns and additive extensive aquafarming based income more over the fishers can easily adopt this highly practical, low-cost strategy for year-round income.

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