Ambitious action plan to popularise mariculture activities

A premier fisheries research institute in the country has come out with an ambitious action planto popularise mariculture activities in all the maritime states and meet the pressing demands for quality seafood for human consumption.
The Action Plan was formulated at the annual review meeting of All India Network Project on Mariculture (AINP-M), co-ordinated by the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI).
"The review meeting has formulated an action plan for developing and popularising marine grow-out systems, farmer-friendly hatchery technologies for commercially important fishes and establishing a centre of excellence in mariculture research in the country," a CMFRI release said.

AINP-M is a major research programme with a financial outlay of Rs 42 crore undertaken by CMFRI with the centres from all the maritime states to strengthen the mariculture initiatives in the country.
Apart from the three species-cobia, seabass and pompano- for which currently commercial level hatchery production is available in the country, CMFRI is in the process of developing technologies for three more marine species which will boost mariculture activities, officials said.
CMFRI Director Dr A Gopalakrishnan, who inaugurated the meeting here yesterday, said due importance would be given to popularise the farming technologies developed by conducting demonstrations in the farmers fields.

"At a time when capture fisheries production is undergoing through a stagnation period, the mariculture can be considered as the only option to meet the ever increasing demand for the marine food products," he said.