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Community fisheries in Darrang to supply fish

By Correspondent

MANGALDAI, Jan 14 - People of the State are busy preparing for celebration of Bhogali Bihu with traditional fervour and gaiety. When we talk about celebrating Bhogali Bihu, the community feast on Uruka night under the bhelaghar will always be special. But can the community Uruka feast ahead of Bihu celebration be completed without the special taste of local fish variety. Perhaps not.

A few pioneering community fisheries in the State like the �Suri Pukhuri� in village Balipota under Kalaigaon Development Block in Darrang district still raises a ray of hope in the Bhogali market of the local fish variety. The management committee of the fishery, surrounded by an area of more than 20 bighas since the last four days, has engaged experienced fishermen and several country boats to catch fishes from the main fishery and then shift those to small nurseries to keep them alive till they reach the market.

Talking to this correspondent, the secretary of the fishery management committee, Gajen Sarma on Tuesday said that in the last Bhogali Uruka market in Guwahati, Mangaldai, Tangla, Kharupetia etc., they contributed nearly 60 quintals of local fish from which they managed to earn a net profit of Rs 10 lakh and this year their target is to supply about 90 quintals and thus earn an income of around Rs 15 lakh. He further said that depending upon different sizes ranging from 1 kg to more than 5 kg in weight and varieties which include Rohu, Bhakua, Mirika, Silver Carp etc., a retail price of Rs 200 per kg with an increase of Rs 10 to Rs 20 on an average, compared to that of the last year market has been fixed for the consumers.

Apart from �Suripukhuri�, �Lakshmipur Anchalik Meen Mahal� has also yielded high fish production and its management committee is all set to supply a large quantity of local fish to the Uruka bazaar, said Bhupen Deka, one of the office-bearers.

However, most unfortunately, the local Fishery Department in the home district of the Fishery Minister, can hardly expect to provide fish to consumers on the day of Uruka as the two fish seed farms of the Fishery Department at Dighirpar and Upahupara with an area of 23 and 15 bighas respectively in the district have nothing to supply in this festive period, an official source said.

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