Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Parshottam Rupala on Thursday underscored the need to boost the mariculture sector, adding that the immediate focus is on promoting offshore cage farming using bigger cages.
Mr. Rupala was speaking after visiting the Vizhinjam Regional Centre of the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) on Wednesday.
Cage fish farming is to be expanded to offshore waters with larger cages having a diameter of 30 metres or more that can accommodate more juveniles, he said. At present, cage farming is undertaken in nearshore waters using cages with a diameter of six metres. Mr. Rupala urged CMFRI to lead the research and development in creating the bigger cages which are expected to ‘‘significantly boost mariculture production in the country,” according to him.
He indicated that the Central government would soon come up with a Mariculture Leasing Policy to ensure sustainable use of mariculture resources.
Mr. Rupala also drew attention to the untapped potential of pearl oyster production, urging CMFRI to take a proactive role in scaling up production. He emphasised the need for research and innovation in this area.
He also proposed a sea ranching programme of hatchery-produced spats of the pearl oyster along the Thoothukudi coast, which would be executed under the guidance of CMFRI. Thoothukudi is popularly known as ‘Pearl City’ as it has served as a centre of pearl production and trade for centuries.
Mr. Rupala also urged CMFRI to expand seed production technologies for finfishes to all coastal States utilising the public-private-partnership (PPP) mode. He also underscored the need for effective marketing strategies for marine ornamental fishery.
Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying L. Murugan, Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan accompanied Mr. Rupala during his visit.