Coastal fishermen communities’ main occupation is fishing and selling of fish in the nearby fish market. The monthly income, varied from Rs. 4,000 to 8,000, is not sufficient for them to meet out their requirements. In coastal areas mostly fish wastes are dumped nearby seashore and backwaters and the environment gets polluted. The villagers were also affected by fish waste pile-up around the locality. In view of the above concern, ICAR-Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture (CIBA), Chennai, has demonstrated the technology and protocol to coastal communities for recycling of fish wastes to value added products, CIBA-PlanktonPlus, a product for boosting plankton production in aquaculture rearing systems, and CIBA-HortiPlus, manure for horticulture, and made them aware about its usage.
After establishing “Fish waste Processing unit‟ in 2019 by Nambikkai Fish Farmers Group, Pattinapakkam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu as a startup of CIBA at Nambikkai Nagar, Pattinapakkam, the group members’ lives changed forever. They started getting orders for this value-added products from shrimp/fish farmers of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and West Bengal. The group has earned 15 lakhs per year from this technology during 2019 to 2021. The technology generated employment opportunities for more than 40 coastal families in and around Chennai and their socio-economic status have been uplifted. More than 355 fisher folk and farmers were trained/got awareness about recycling of fish-wastes to value-added products through this technology. Looking at the potential of these products in aquaculture and horticulture, one of the group member of Nambikkai Fish Farmers Group, Mrs. K. Velankanni, W/o Shri. T. Kennit Raj, Pattinapakkam, Chennai, has started a micro-level enterprise as “V.S. Fish Waste Hydrolysate”, Chennai, for manufacturing of CIBA-PlanktonPlus and CIBA-HortiPlus and she became micro-level entrepreneur among the fisherwomen in Pattinapakkam, Chennai.
ICAR-CIBA has transferred fish waste processing technology, CIBA-PlanktonPlus and CIBA-HortiPlus, to fisherwoman entrepreneur, Mrs. K. Velankanni through a MoU on 22nd September 2021, at CIBA Headquarters, Chennai. Under the agreement, the ICAR-CIBA will transfer the CIBA-PlanktonPlus and CIBA-HortiPlus production technology on a non-exclusive basis and also provide the necessary guidance to the entrepreneur for producing the products. Dr. P. Mahalakshmi, Principal Scientist, briefed about the significance of this MoU and highlighted the success of Nambikkai Fish Farmers Group and their dedication towards the work. Dr. K.P. Jithendran, Director, ICAR-CIBA, Chennai, expressed his hopefulness that this model will be a successful and sustainable model for converting the fish waste to value added products, which can provide ancillary income to the fisher folk and will also help for making the fish market of the country clean.
Shri. T. Kennit Raj, representative of Nambikkai Fish Farmers Group has praised the efforts of ICAR-CIBA, in promoting of waste to wealth concept as an alternative livelihood activity for the fishers in their village. Mrs. K. Velankanni has expressed her happiness about the upliftment of their socio-economic status and doubling of their income through the waste to wealth technology. Dr. Debasis De, Principal Scientist, CIBA and team leader of this technology briefly explained the importance of the value-added products in enhancing the aquaculture and horticulture production of the country. He appreciated the group members for their success and achievements. Mr. Sandeep, K.P., Scientist expressed the potential of the product boosting the natural food organisms in aquaculture systems and scope of research in this novel technology. Dr. P.K. Patil, Scientist In-Charge of ITMU unit and team members coordinated the programme.
