Arunachal can turn into exporter of inland cold water fish: Tage Taki
Minister informed that Lower Subansiri District was coming up in a big way in fishery sector.
ZIRO- Arunachal Pradesh can turn into an exporter of inland cold water fishes if we use the correct methodology and technology to harness the huge potential available in the state, said Minister Agri, Horti, Dairy Development, AHV and Fisheries Tage Taki here today.
Speaking at the 3-day Training-cum-Demonstration on Harvest and Post-Harvest Technologies for Lower Subansiri District under North East Hill component organized by ICAR–Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (ICAR-CIFT), Visakhapatnam Research Centre at Hari Secondary School, Minister Taki said that the state has a huge potential in inland cold water fishery at Tawang, Bomdila, Menchuka and Ziro.
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We need to be proactive and encourage our fish farmers to breed and rear exotic cold water fishes like trout which is highly priced at the national and international markets, he said, while adding that the Fishery department is willing to provide all required technical knowledge, inputs and logistics to support the cause of fishery revolution in the state.
Appreciating the handholding support of ICAR-CIFT for the growth and development of fishery sector in the state, Minister Taki informed that Lower Subansiri District was coming up in a big way in fishery sector. With success stories of many fish farmers from Ziro and Yachuli, people are slowly getting inspired to take up fishery as a business model and source of income, he explained, while informing that a catch of 11.5 kg fish was recorded from the water conservation project of Siikhey Lake at Ziro recently which was a record in the valley.
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Minister Taki also urged the trainers from ICAR-CIFT to review the effectiveness of the training after a few months. Ziro Valley is famed in the country for its unique paddy-cum-pisiculture. However, due to inbreeding of the commonly grown common carp variety of fish at the paddy fields for a long time, quality of the fishes had reduced and so common carp had to be replaced by Amur carp which has revived the quality of the fishes, he informed, while adding that such training programmes are needed to provide correct perspectives and mid-way corrections to fish farmers to avoid losses.
The Minister also informed that if the training programme and the equipments provided by ICAR-CIFT for value addition of the fish products were a success at Ziro valley, the Fishery department would keep an annual budget the following year to replicate the same in other parts of the state.
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Lower Subansiri Deputy Commissioner Bamin Nime also urged to bring innovations in fishery cultivation in the district. With the upcoming Aqua Park at Ziro Valley which will be first of its kind in the country, I am sure development of fishery sector would witness a sea change not only in Lower Subansiri District but in the entire state, he said, while extending his best wishes to the trainees.
In his keynote address, Scientist-in-charge and Principal Scientist, ICAR-CIFT Dr. U. Sreedhar informed about the role of ICAR-CIFT in development of fishery sector in the country. Founded in 1957, ICAR-CIFT has proven its excellence in development of fishing and fish processing technologies. During the last 62 years, ICAR-CIFT has made commendable scientific contributions in the fields of fish harvesting, processing, packaging, product development, quality assurance, fishery by-products and fishery waste utilisation, he informed.
Highlighting that the prime target of ICAR-CIFT was to facilitate sustainable harvesting and total utilization of fishery resources through innovations in harvest and post-harvest technology, Dr. Sreedhar informed that during the 3-day training programme, the team would aid and provide trainings to fish farmers on technical inputs on fish harvesting, value addition, fish engineering, waste utilization, fishery health care, ready to cook products, quality assurance, packaging, harvest technologies and business incubation.
The ICAR-CIFT team also comprising Sr. Scientist Dr. Jesmi Debbarma and Scientist G. Kamei will also be providing trainings to the farmers on introduction to advances in inland harvesting system, hands on training on serially foldable traps, operation of lines and various baits used in inland water bodies, technologies ICAR-CIFT can offer for inland harvesting systems, Gill net fabrication, hygienic handling of fish, curing and drying, chilled fish products and demonstration of air packaging and vacuum packaging of fish, preparation of value added fish products-fish pickle, preparation of batter and breaded fish products and training cum demonstration on packaging of fish products. .
On the occasion, Minister Tage Taki also released the training manuals on harvest and post-harvest technologies and visited the fish hatchery unit of Gaumco Multipurpose Cooperative Society located at Hari village to which ICAR-CIFT had provided technological guidance and handed over small scale fish processing aids for hygienic handling and value addition of fish and fishery products.
Besides the fish farmers, the programme was also attended by Lower Subansiri DFDO Liagi Lasa, HoD’s, ZPM’s and public.
