GUWAHATI, Nov 17 - A cage aquaculture project financed under the Chief Minister�s Samagra Gramya Unnayan Yojana (CMSGUY) was formally launched by Fishery Minister, Parimal Suklabaidya, recently at the Rupahi Beel in Nagaon district in the presence of several hundreds of fish farmers and beel lease holders of the area.
The minister informed the gathering that the Fishery department has already received the sanction from Mega Mission Society-CMSGUY for taking up cage culture in 15 beels or such types of natural water bodies of Assam during this financial year at a total estimated cost of Rs 13.48 lakh for cage installation and Rs 8.45 lakh for procurement of inputs such as feed, seed etc. against each beel. Seventy per cent of the total estimated cost, both for civil works and inputs, is borne from CMSGUY and remaining 30 per cent is to be borne by the beneficiary.
The basic objective of the project is to enhance ensured fish production from cages and beel as well as giving alternative livelihood to the fishers during the breeding season when normal fishing is banned. He said that through cage culture in beels, Assam will come up as a true leader in fish production in the days to come.
The Minister also revealed that his government has already taken up fish culture through the flagship programme �Ghare Ghare Pukhuri, Ghare Ghare Maach� in more than 10,000 private individual fish ponds and almost 500 community tanks constructed during this year throughout the State. Though the scheme is in different stages of implementation, it is hoped that with its completion, a sea change will be witnessed in fish production in the State immediately.
Anchoring the entire programme, Dr RC Barman, Sub Divisional Fisheries Development Officer, Nagaon gave a detailed account of the cage culture scheme and informed that around 2.5-3.0 tonnes of fish will be produced from each 6m x 4m x 2m cage. Out of the ten cages already installed in the beel as one battery of cages, three cages will be used for seed rearing and remaining seven cages will be used for table fish production.
