ICAR Joins Hands with Government of West Bengal for Development of Fisheries in the State

One day ‘Consultative meeting on Fisheries Development in the State of West Bengal’was organisedon 23rd November, 2013 at Kolkata Centre of Central Institute of Fisheries Education (CIFE) to prepare a road map for fisheries development and bridge the demand-supply gap in the State of West Bengal.

The meeting was chaired by Shri Chandra Nath Sinha, Minister In-Charge, Department of Fisheries, Aquaculture, Aquatic Resources and Fishing Harbour, Government of West Bengal. Dr. S. Ayyappan, Secretary, DARE and DG, ICAR led the team of ICAR and coordinated the entire proceedings of the meeting.

Shri Sinha called upon the ICAR Fisheries Research Institutes to assist and provide research, development and extension support to the State Department in a collaborative approach for fisheries development in the sate.

Shri B.C. Shah, Director, Department of Fisheries, Government of West Bengal highlighted the present status of fisheries in the state and interventions required.

Dr. Pradip Majumdar, Agricultural Advisor to the CM, Government of West Bengal sought advise from the ICAR Fisheries Institutes i) in developing and utilizing open coal pit for aquaculture/ cage culture so as to get additional fish catch from these water bodies, ii) reinventing aquaculture processes for enhancing fisheries in the state iii) integrated farming system to be adopted for fisheries enhancement iv) technology support in increasing fish production from all the resources available in this state.

Dr. B. Meenakumari, DDG (Fisheries), ICAR discussed the specific technological interventions to be made in fisheries and aquaculture sectors of West Bengal for sustainable increase in fish production. The major focus areas included fish conservation, development of feed and health sectors in aquaculture, brackish water aquaculture, cold water fisheries, stock enhancement in inland open waters, quality fish seed production, initiating cage farming in sea and developing a robust harvest and post harvest sectors in the state.

All the Directors of ICAR Fisheries Institutes including Dr. W.S. Lakra, Director, CIFE, Mumbai; Prof. A.P. Sharma, CIFRI, Barrackpore; Dr. A.G. Ponnaih, Director CIBA, Chennai; Dr. P. Jayasankar, Director, CIFA, Bhubaneswar; Dr. J.K. Jena, Director, NBFGR, Lucknow; Dr. A. Gopalkrishnan, Director, CMFRI, Cochin; Dr. A. Barat, Director, DCFR, Bhimtal; and Shri Subesh Das, Additional Chief Secretary, Joint Secretary Fisheries, Govenment of West Bengal and In-Charge, regional research centres of ICAR, Vice Chancellor of WBUAFS, Prof. Samir Bhattachrya of Visva Bharati University & former Director, IICB, Kolkata; Zonal Project Coordinator, ZPD, Eastern region; Faculty members from WBUAFS; Subject Matter Specialists from KVK including Neempeeth; Representatives from MPEDA, MD, BENFISH&WBFC and others participated in the meeting.

(Source: CIFE, Kolkata)