kolkata: The state Fisheries department will take up a pilot project on fish farming through biofloc technology in three districts of Bengal to encourage more rural people into pisciculture.
State Fisheries minister Akhil Giri said that Bankura, West Midnapore and North Dinajpur have been identified for implementation of several such projects through biofloc. The department will
offer training to the interested fish farmers so that they can pass on their knowledge among others.
"Biofloc is a technology using which one can produce fishes significantly in large quantities (in a small volume of water) like a tank as compared to the traditional form of aquaculture in large ponds. It is easy to monitor the fish movement, their behaviour and abnormalities as they will remain within a tank which in turn will facilitate taking the corrective measures immediately," Giri said.
West Bengal Comprehensive Area Development Corporation (CADC) under the aegis of the Panchayats and Rural Development (P&RD) department has already begun fish cultivation using this technology by involving the SHGs (Self Help Group) and has proved to be an excellent source of livelihood support. The technique is already being practised at Tamluk in East Midnapore, Ayodha Hills in Purulia and some semi-arid zones in Murshidabad, Jhargram and Birbhum very successfully. Probiotics and molluscs are used to eliminate the chances of food particles and excreta of the fishes polluting the water. These components produce plankton and prevent the production of ammonium nitrate which is toxic to the fish. An aerator is used to add oxygen to the water.
A wide variety of fishes can be cultivated through this technology like Koi, Magur, Singi, Telapiya, Pabda and even prawn.The minister in a high-level meeting with senior officials of his department on Tuesday with the district magistrates and other concerned officials took stock of the status of fishermen's credit card. "The cooperative banks have come forward in providing loans under the Matsyajibi credit card, but the nationalised banks have been reluctant. We will be taking up the matter with the bank authorities," a senior official of the department said.
The department has decided to form 13 cooperatives by roping in fish farmers at Nayachar to cultivate fish to augment its production.Giri has directed his officials to start training under Banga Matsya Yojana in all districts.