Kolkata: Four ICAR institutes involved in education and research in aquaculture have successfully reared more than 2,500 hilsa in 15 ponds across three districts, highlighting the prospects of successful captive Hilsa culture in ponds.
The Hilsa cultivated in the ponds has attained a maximum size of 689 g (43.6 cm) in one pond in 3 years.
ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute (ICAR-CIFRI) has collaborated with ICAR-CIBA (ICAR-Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture) regional centre at Kakdwip, ICAR CIFA (ICAR-Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture) regional centre at Rahara and ICAR-CIFE (ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Education) regional centre at Kolkata for this project whose achievement assumes significance in the backdrop of depleting reserves of the most sought after fish in Bengali menu.
The pond-grown Hilsa involves three districts — North 24-Parganas (Rahara and Kalyani), South 24-Parganas (Kakdwip) and East Midnapore (Kolaghat). In the ‘intermediate salinity ponds’ of Kolaghat, where the water was mixed with that from the Rupnarayan River, around 100 fishes grew in the range of 600-700 gram. A significant number that were captive bred weighed 500-600 gm out of the total stock of about 2,500 fish. The scientists have artificially produced zooplankton as fish food along with other specially designed feed developed at ICAR-CIBA and ICAR-CIFA for healthy growth.
“Recent monitoring showed some 100 odd fish weighing 600-700 gm and one at Kolaghat weighed 700 gm. This was achieved in three years of rearing. The size is the highest reported from any such attempt in India,” said B K Das, director ICAR-CIFRI.
During 2012-2017, the scientists did a detailed study on stock assessment, its biology and also captive breeding in ponds and established breeding through natural brood. In the recently concluded second phase (2021-2024), good growth was established.
“The exhaustive study of the fish maturity through field visit by making it senseless for sometime, checking maturity and again releasing it in pond has also been a major achievement on our part with Hilsa known to be a very sensitive fish,” said Ranjan Kumar Manna, principal scientist CIFRI who heads the Reservoir & Wetland Fisheries Division of ICAR-CIFRI. ICAR-CIFE has contributed significantly in developing the anaesthesia procedure.
ICAR-CIFRI in the coming days will be working on completing the life cycle of fish in the ponds. It will emphasise breeding of fish. The preservation of Hilsa sperm has been initiated with support from NBFGR, another ICAR institute based in Lucknow. “Once we attain success in artificial breeding of fish in ponds, we will be able to release them in rivers which will gradually make the supply steady and bring down the soaring prices of Hilsa,” said CIFRI scientist Srikanta Samanta, principal investigator of the project.