CMFRI to popularise mariculture

Kochi, Oct 1 (IANS) To give a fillip to fish production in the country, Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) will focus on popularising mariculture activities in all the maritime states.

This was decided at a meeting chaired by the All India Network Project on Mariculture (AINP-M), coordinated by the CMFRI.

Mariculture is a branch of aquaculture involving the cultivation of marine organisms for food and other products in the open ocean, an enclosed section of the ocean, or in tanks, ponds or raceways which are filled with seawater.

Director of CMFRI A. Gopalakrishnan said on Saturday that at present, the captive fisheries production was going through a stagnation period.

"Hence mariculture can be considered as an option to meet the ever increasing demand for marine food products. Open sea cage farming method developed by CMFRI is one of the best farming models which could be effectively popularised among the fishermen community in the country," Gopalakrishnan said.

"The mariculture sector, to some extent will bridge the gap between demand and supply in marine fish production. Mariculture can also be considered as one of the best alternate livelihood options for the coastal fishermen community," he added.

He also said that CMFRI would also intensify the work on demarcation of potential mariculture sites along the Indian coast on a geographic information system (GIS) platform, to prepare a national policy for the development of mariculture activities in the country.