New tech used for first time in Manipur�s wetlands to increase fish production

IMPHAL, Sept 29 - The Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute (CIFRI) � High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) pen technology, which was recently commercialised by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute (ICAR-CIFRI), was used in the wetlands of Manipur for the first time as part of �technology refinement trials� to improve the income of fishermen.

This was informed by Principal Scientist Dr BK Bhattacharjya of the National Mission on Himalayan Studies (NMHS) project during a field day programme on the occasion of fish harvest from pen enclosures in Takmu Pat at Sendra, 45 km south of Imphal, in Manipur�s Bishnupur district on Friday.

The event was organised by ICAR-CIFRI, Regional Centre, Guwahati, in collaboration with the Department of Fisheries, Manipur as part of technology refinement trials under the NMHS project.

The CIFRI-HDPE technology was developed for in-situ quality fish fingerling (seed) and table fish production in wetlands and reservoirs.

Explaining about the programme, Dr Bhattacharjya said pen aquaculture was carried out as part of a project sponsored by the NMHS, GB Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment & Sustainable Development, Almora in collaboration with DoF, Manipur and the Net Fishing Cooperative Society, Keibul Takmu.

He hoped that successful implementation of the project in Takmu Pat will lead to its largescale adoption by the wetland fishermen of Manipur, which had 30,171 hectares of wetlands that were largely unexploited in spite of having high potential for increasing their fish production.

Khamsing Ahum, Additional Director of DoF, Manipur, said fish production from the wetlands of Bishnupur could be possible if the fishermen learned to utilise the fishery resources with scientific inputs.

Urging the fishermen to continue pen culture in a better and more profitable manner, Dr Dipesh Debnath said pens were a low-cost technology and if practised following scientific guidelines, they could increase the income of fishermen.

A total of 50 fishermen, including 20 women, from in and around Takmu Pat, took part in the programme.