ICAR-Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture Chennai partnered in the ‘Aquaculture Kerala 2018 – A Blue Revolution Initiative’ organized by Kerala Aqua Farmers Federation at Kannur in Kerala State during 10th to 12th February 2018. The national seminar was inaugurated on 10th February 2018 by Shri Pinarayi Vijayan, Honourable Chief Minister, Government of Kerala and in his address, the Chief Minister stated that Government of Kerala will give support for the promotion of aquaculture in Kerala through relevant policy including the leasing of public water resources and planning. About 300 delegates, the majority aquaculture farmers, including dignitaries, scientists from ICAR institutes, Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies, officials from Government of Kerala, and students have participated in the seminar.
Dr K K Vijayan Director CIBA Chennai in his keynote address on “Brackishwater and Marine Aquaculture” stated that Indian brackishwater aquaculture comprising of shell-fish and finfish farming is an economic engine in the Indian aquafarming sector with an annual production of 0.5 million tonnes of shrimp earning 5 billion US $ in 2015-16, as foreign exchange. Increased sustainable production of P. Vannamei, diversification of aquaculture with native species, sustained measures to ensure quality, and increase in infrastructure facilities for the production of value-added products were largely responsible for India’s positive growth in exports of seafood. Dr Ravisankar, Director, CIFT-Kochi, delivering his felicitation speech highlighted the importance of value addition in increasing the income share of aqua producers.
CIBA has several technically feasible, environment-friendly and economically viable technologies in shellfish and finfish culture and the same need to be scaled-up through strategic planning and implementation of development schemes in convergence with State Government and aqua farmers and other stakeholders. Scientific adoption and scaling up of these technologies would definitely increase farmers income by three to four folds in a span of one to two years itself considering short crop period in aquafarming.
In the technical sessions, presentations were made by Scientists of CIBA, Dr C P Balasubramanian on “Strategies for re-promoting Indian White Shrimp Farming and Dr.A Panigrahi on “Participatory Approaches in Aqua Farming – few success stories”.
Dr C V Sairam Principal Scientist and SIC Social Science Division and Dr.Raymond Jani Angel, Scientist Crustacean Culture Division coordinated the activities of CIBA Stall in the exhibition organized as a part of the National Seminar. CIBA Stall won the best stall award given by Kerala Aqua Farmers Federation.
