The authorities are trying to produce more and more colour fish from the integrated ornamental fish hatchery at the Kausalyaganga fish farm here. In the initial year 2014-15, about 50,000 fish of different varieties were produced.
The farm was started in 2013-14 under the assistance of NFDB at a project cost of Rs 45 lakh. The firm’s trial production was started in February 2014. Its three units are (a) Indoor, (b) Outdoor and (c) Display section for marketing. Indoor Section contains about 20 circular fibre tanks brought from Chandrabhaga hatchery and 10 conical tanks for juvenile rearing. Besides, glass aquariums are there in the shelf for breeding of angels and fighter fishes. In the Outdoor Section, there are three units containing 20 concrete tanks, each of two tons size. Here juveniles from indoor sections are stocked and reared till they attain marketable size. Display Section is at the entrance of Indoor section containing about 24 small and big aquariums kept in iron shelves for display of fish to the customers for marketing.
In the initial phase, 20 specis have been taken up as per the facilities available in the hatchery. They are Red Gold (plain tail, fan tail and veil tail), Red Cap Gold, Oranda Gold, Black Moor Gold, Subonkin Gold, Blue Gourami, Golden Gourami, Kissing Gourami, Tiger Shark, Rosy Barb, Sucker Cat (Crocodile fish), Angel, Black Molly, Silver Molly, Balloon Molly, Platy, Guppy and Sword tail. Besides, some more species are present in the brood stage and the production is in pipeline. They are Tetra, Giant Gourami, Fighter Fish and Albino Magur.
Pet fish lovers of nearby districts are the prime customers of the hatchery. Besides, the traders of cities like Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Puri and the agents/ middle man are also procuring from here.