A workshop on development of fish farming by adopting scientific way was organised by the Farmers Development Co-operative Society here. Co-operative Society president Pramod Sahu presided over the workshop, which was inaugurated by District Collector Niranjan Nayak.
Bhubaneswar-based Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (CIFA) Director Dr P Jayasankar, attending as chief guest, said that though Odisha has a large potential on fish production, including marine, brackish water and fresh water fisheries, but the neighbouring State Andhra Pradesh provides more than 50 per cent of the fish to Odisha for domestic consumption.
He stated that some farmers put all three types of carp fingerlings in a single pond so that there is inter-species breeding leading to genetic pollution among the fish species. Back cross (mating of offspring with parental stock) is also a dangerous trend because it creates a situation called introgression in genetics, which results in substandard production. He also stressed the farmers not to use the same parents to produce seeds again and again because it creates breeding depression in fishes leading to a weak progeny.
There exists a huge gap of technology generation and adoption is a matter of concern and it is high time to bridge the gap. The problems identified here in the State are on good fish seed production, mixed breeding, induced breeding and no exchange of brooders. The fish farmers should get better management practices from the fishery department for maintaining the purity of fish species in their ponds for better yield and genetic progression. The fish farmers should get more marketing facilities so that they would get good economic returns by farming fish, added the Director of CIFA
Jayasankar stated that this is the first time he visited to coastal Kendrapada district and came to know that marine, brackish and fresh water fish farming has been going on in the district by the fish farmers. So to provide a co-operative hand for the fish farmers by educating them to adopt scientific way for farming fish, he would definitely take steps in the coming days, he assured.