The co-operative committees have established a cold chain for marketing fish produced from Bharatpur reservoir in the State, officials stated.
The Fisheries Department is making efforts to spread fish rearing in sweet waters in the entire State. They have developed 'Cage Culture' which is becoming very popular among the farmers, they stated.
Chhattisgarh has joined the leading states in adopting 'Cage Culture' using sweet water resources. The fish are being reared in Saroda Sagra , Sheer waters , Gonga Water body, Jhumka water resources and Teeranga water body. About 300 metric tonnes of fish had been produced with the help of 'Cage Culture'.
'Cage Culture' is being encouraged under the National Protein Feeder Mission. Floating Blocks are created in the 'Cage Culture' The blocks are inter-locked. Fish weighing 100 grams each are left in the ponds. They are fed on a daily basis.
Three meters of floating blocks is under water and only one meter is above the water. Pangosias breed of fish is reared in the Cage Culture. The 100 gram fish grows into one kg fish in about 10 month's period.
The experiment was first made in Gonga waters in Bilaspur district with the technical co-operation Central Fisheries Education Institute Mumbai. Ducks and poultry rearing had also been started along with the fisheries. The Gonga Waters Cage Culture has been shifted to Bharatpur Waters as it was damaged earlier.
HDPI cage has been built at far-flung Sarodasagar in Kabhirdham district under the NMPS scheme.
There are 24 cages of GI Pipes and HDPI. Fishes are being reared in 496 cages all over the State. They are fed with 30 per cent Protein-laced diet. There is rapid development of Cage Culture Pengosian fishes in Chhattisgarh.
In Shirpani Waters of Kabhirdam district there are 96 fish rearing cages, Bilaspur district Gonga waters 48 cages, Jhumka Waters in Korea district 96 cages, Tauranga Waters in Gariyaband district 48 cages, Korba district Bango Waters 48 cages and Ambikapur district Gunghuta Waters 48 fish rearing cages. About 3,500 kgs fish is produced in each Cage Culture. There is a gain of Rs70,000 to the farmer after deducting all expenses.
The officers said that 'Cage Culture' system of fish-rearing programmes was started in Chhattisgarh and now the State tops the list of Cage Culture pattern of fish production in the country. They are grown in in Saroda Sagar, Sheer Pani, Gonga canal, Jhumka waters and Tourenga waters.
About 350 Metric Tonnes (MTs) of fish was produced with Cage Culture system. The Department is operating a scheme of constructing houses for fishermen. About 400 houses will be built for fishermen families in 2015-16.
The Department officers revealed that Chhattisgarh is self-sufficient in fish production. The fish seed needed for fishermen is produced in the State iteslf.
The progressive farmers are producing 8,000 to 12,000 kilograms per hectare of fish like Katla, Rohu and Mrugal varieties. In February this year, the State government had announced that about 39000 fishermen of the State would get employment through fish farming in the Anicuts and barrages constructed over rivers and nullahs. The Government has also banned breeding, farming, transport and trade of Big Head and Mangur species of fishes in the State.
In the past, around 574 crore ‘Spawn Fish’ seeds have been produced across Chhattisgarh.
The State recorded 96 percent of its production of such seeds. The Fisheries Department had aimed of producing 592 crore and 95 lakh seeds of Spawn fishes.
The production of Spawn Fish seeds is done with the joint coordination of Fisheries Department, Fishermen’s Federation and Private Parties. Among the 574 crore Spawn Fish Seeds, 84.50 crore seeds have been produced by Fishermen’s Federation, 150.25 crore seeds by Fisheries Department and 356.40 crore seeds by the Private Parties.
The officials of the Fisheries Department informed that the produced seeds are used for preparing Standard Fries. Till August this year, the Department has gained success in producing 58.47 crore Standard Fry seeds and is targetting to produce 149 Standard Fry seeds by the end of the on-going financial year.