The Hindu Business Line : Govt to allow Vannamei shrimp, sea bass culturing

Help on cards: Workers harvesting shrimp at a shrimp farm near Thrissur in Kerala. The Centre is stepping up efforts to raise aquaculture production and, thereby, help improve fishermen’s income. –

R. Ravikumar

Chennai, Feb. 2 With a target to increase the country’s fish production to over 10 million tonnes (mt) by the end of the 11th Plan from the current 6.5 mt, the Central Government has announced various schemes including subsidies for reservoir development, regular stocking of seeds and modernisation of harbours. It has also cleared some new species for culturing.

100% grant

According to Mr P. Krishnaiah, Chief Executive, National Fisheries Development Board that comes under the Union Ministry of Agriculture, the Government has announced 100 per cent grant to States for reservoir development to increase fish production through regular stocking of seeds.

Currently reservoir production stands at 15 kg a hectare, and the intention is to increase that to at least 100 kg a hectare. “So far, Rs 40 crore has been released under the scheme,” he said.

The Government has also decided to allow Vannamei shrimp (white shrimp), and sea bass which are in great demand worldwide, to culture. In the case of Vannamei shrimp, currently two companies – Sarat Seafood and BMR Hatcheries – are permitted to do the trial run in a restricted environment in 250 acres in Nellore district in Andhra Pradesh.

Besides, the Union Agriculture Ministry is creating an aqua quarantine at Neelangarai, near Chennai, in Tamil Nadu with the help of the Marine Products Export Development Authority at an investment of Rs 1 crore for the purpose.

Brood stock

According to Mr Krishnaiah, who was here to inaugurate Oceanaa’s fourth ‘Fish and Fresh’ retail outlet in the city, this facility will be ready in the next couple of months. The Aquaculture Authority of India has also short listed companies for brood stock supply and is in the process of identifying farmers to culture this species.

In India, currently only black shrimp (tiger prawns) is being cultivated. “Even in this case, getting the right seed is a big problem,” he said.

Seed multiplication

So, to produce specific-pathogen-free (SPF) seeds, the Government is planning to create 3-billion seed a year capacity seed multiplication centre in 100 acres at Srikakulam at an investment of Rs 30 crore. “We are in the process of calling tenders for the project.”

The Government has signed a pact with Moana Technologies of Hong Kong, to produce SPF seeds here. Onceit is floated, the facility will be leased out to Moana Technologies for the purpose, he said.

Sea bass culture

In the case of sea bass fish, the Government has done a pilot project to culture this species in pure water in fields in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra.

Efforts to culture this in cages in ocean are also on in collaboration with the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Kochi.

According to Mr K. Rengaraju, Joint Director of Fisheries, Tamil Nadu State fisheries department, the cages have already been fabricated to be pushed into the sea near Pulicat Lake.

Related Stories:
Vannamei shrimp may enter farms soon