Inland aqua farmers hopeful of 2022 bounty

Tamil Nadu has one of the largest available resources for fisheries and aquaculture, i.e. a 1,076-km coastline and major reservoirs (52,000 ha), big and small irrigation tanks (98,000 ha), small lakes and rural fishery demonstration tanks (1,58,000 ha) and brackish water areas, swamps and estuaries (63,000 ha) too contributing to the breeding of fish. The inland fisheries policy of the State focuses on maximising fish production utilising the inland water resources through scientific fresh water aquaculture management and quality seed production. Among other water bodies, a majority are controlled by PWD, while others by panchayats, HR&CE, forest and water bodies belonging to the fishermen cooperative society.

With fisheries being a high income generating activity in Tamil Nadu, it has been producing about 5 lakh metric tonnes of fish annually. Brackish water aquaculture can especially provide a net income of Rs 3 to 5 lakh per hectare in a short span of 3 to 4 months. The inland fishery resources of State yield 0.87 lakh metric tonnes of fish annually.

The Centre is keen on doubling the income of farmers by March 2022, while the State Government has come forward to promote newer culture systems like Integrated Multi Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA), Re-circulatory Aquaculture System (RAS) and bio floc and periphyton-based farming systems to help achieve the goal within a shorter period. Public Private Partnership and use of ICT tools like mobile apps would bridge the missing links in extension services.

According to officials, to achieve Vision 2022, the ICAR-CIBA and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) along with the Tamil Nadu Fisheries University, Nagapattinam, as well as the Coastal Aquaculture Authority (CAI), Chennai, jointly organised the “Workshop on Revitalising Fisheries and Aquaculture in Tamil Nadu – Doubling income by March 2022“ on May 30, 2017 at the Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture, Chennai. At the workshop, income generation for the farmers, especially those involved in aqua farming, was discussed in depth.

There are four major fish varieties bred in Tamil Nadu - Indian Major Carps (grass, silver and common carps), Catla, Rohu and Mrigal. The carp varieties are reared up to the fingerling stage, suitable for stocking them in water bodies. There are 27 fish seed farms under the control of the Fisheries Department, while six are under the TN Fisheries Development Corporation (TNFDC). As many as 83 private seed farms operate in the State. While government farms produce at least 1,200 lakh early fry (the stage prior to seedlings) private firms produce 600 lakh early fry that are distributed to the farmers across the State.

The officials said the Cauvery Delta region farmers started actively nurturing fish varieties from 2002 to generate additional income. The Agriculture Engineering Department had then established farm ponds measuring 30X30 metres.

While the common varieties of inland fish are cultivated only after 8 to 10 months, recently developed Genetically Improved Farm Tilapia (GIFT) fish varieties grow within relatively short duration of up to 6 months with some even showing growth within three months. The farmers can sell them for up to Rs 200 per kg, A Chella Kumar, Deputy Director of Fisheries, said.

Four varieties of fish – Catla, Rohu, Mrigal and Common Carp — are bred in Tamil Nadu. While the first three varieties could be hatched between July and September, the common variety is hatched round the year. The price is about Rs 252 per 1,000 fingerlings for Catla, Rohu and Mrigal and Rs 162 for Common Carp.

The available seed production and breeding centres are inadequate to meet the demand for fish seeds required for stocking in inland water bodies. Floating cages are erected in many places and around 20 lakhs of fingerlings are produced annually. The reservoirs of Tamil Nadu contribute to more than 14 per cent of total inland water spread area. The fish production from all these reservoirs is only around one per cent of the Total Inland Fish Production of the country. There is, therefore, vast scope to increase fish production.