Dr M. L. Jat Calls for Translational Research to Transform Inland Fisheries during his Visit to ICAR-CIFRI, Barrackpore

13 July 2023, Barrackpore

Dr M. L. Jat, Secretary, DARE and Director General, ICAR, today paid an official visit to the ICAR–Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Barrackpore, reaffirming ICAR's commitment to innovation-driven, sustainable and farmer-centric research for transforming India's inland fisheries sector. Dr

D. K. Yadav, Deputy Director General (Crop Science), ICAR, accompanied him during the visit.

Dr Jat was accorded a warm welcome by Dr Pradip Dey, Director, ICAR-CIFRI, along with Scientists, Officers and Staff of the Institute. The visit commenced with a plantation drive under the nationwide campaign "Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam," symbolizing the institute's commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainable development.

The Secretary interacted with scientists to gain first-hand insights into the institute's ongoing research, innovations and technology development. The formal programme began with the rendition of Vande Mataram.

In his address, Dr Jat outlined a transformative vision for India's inland fisheries, placing translational research, multidisciplinary collaboration and farmer-centric innovation at the heart of future scientific endeavours.

"ICAR-CIFRI has a pivotal role in transforming inland fisheries through translational research, multidisciplinary collaboration and farmer-centric innovations that improve the livelihoods of fishers and fish farmers," he said.

Dr Jat urged scientists to focus on converting laboratory discoveries into scalable field-level solutions. He called upon researchers to break institutional silos, embrace interdisciplinary approaches and develop technologies that directly address the emerging challenges of farmers and fishers. Highlighting the growing importance of digital agriculture, he described data as the 'new money' of the future, stressing that data-driven research and digital technologies will shape the next generation of agricultural and fisheries innovations. He also underscored the importance of nurturing young scientists, fostering excellence, ensuring institutional accountability and creating an ecosystem that rewards high performers while motivating others through guidance and mentorship.

Reaffirming ICAR's continued support to scientific institutions, Dr Jat assured researchers of every possible encouragement in their pursuit of excellence, innovation and societal impact.

Addressing the gathering, Dr Yadav emphasized that scientific excellence must ultimately translate into tangible benefits for farmers and fishers. He lauded ICAR-CIFRI for its pioneering contributions to inland fisheries research and expressed confidence that the institute would continue developing innovative, sustainable and stakeholder-oriented technologies that strengthen India's Blue Economy and nutritional security.

In the beginning, welcoming the dignitaries, Dr Dey appraised ICAR-CIFRI's major scientific achievements, cutting-edge technologies and future research priorities. He highlighted the institute's significant contributions towards strengthening India's inland fisheries and aquaculture sector through science-led interventions that improve productivity, sustainability and the livelihoods of fishers.

During the programme, Dr Jat was felicitated by the Institute in recognition of his visionary leadership and unwavering support to agricultural and fisheries research. He also interacted with fishers, scientists, students and staff members, encouraging stronger collaboration among researchers, extension agencies and stakeholders to accelerate technology dissemination and sustainable livelihood generation.

The occasion also witnessed the release of several scientific publications and knowledge products developed by ICAR-CIFRI. Among them was CIFRI-CleanMeen, an innovative water-dispersible formulation of edible plant extracts capable of selectively eliminating red-blood weed fishes, including carps, catfishes and air-breathing fishes, within 24 hours without adversely affecting white-blood aquatic organisms such as shrimps, snails and zooplankton. A book titled "Fisheries Management Strategies for Danduabeel, Assam" was also released.

The visit concluded on an inspiring note, reinforcing ICAR-CIFRI's pivotal role in advancing sustainable inland fisheries through scientific innovation, environmental responsibility and technology-led development. It also reaffirmed ICAR's vision of strengthening collaboration across its institutes to deliver impactful, research-based solutions that enhance the livelihoods of fishers and contribute to a resilient and sustainable Blue Economy.

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