World Fisheries Day observed, fish farmers felicitated in Dhubri

A CORRESPONDENT

DHUBRI: A field day was organized among fishers, fish farmers and aquaculture entrepreneurs of Rangjuli, Dudhnoi, Krishnai, Kushdhowa, Matia of Goalpara district in Bhelakhamar village in Krishnai, Goalpara to commemorate World Fisheries Day with a theme of sustainable fisheries recently under the auspices of Goalpara Fishery Department.

The meeting was chaired by a social worker and acamedician, Keshab Sarma. Ornamental fish breeder Bimal Roy, media person Nilamani Sarma, para-fisheries worker Abidur Rahman, retired Fishery Officer Ananta Roy and Fishery Development Officer, Prasanna Kalita, were felicitated by Goalpara Fishery Department with gamosa and xarai for their exemplary services to the fishery sector of the district.

Bimal Roy, while expressing his happiness, said that he had initiated breeding of indigenous ornamental fish way back in 2004 with financial support from National Fisheries Development Board, Government of India, and involved around 30 women from Bhelakhamar village in rearing of ornamental fish in backyard cemented pond, which has resulted in formation of Jagaran Women Self Group and Jagaran Ornamental Fish Rearing Society.

"Currently, the women in the village are engaged in rearing of exotic ornamental fish belonging to live bearer and egg layers, including Guppy, Molly and Subunkin variety of Gold Fish," Roy added.

Goalpara District Fishery Development Officer, Dr. Anupam Sharma, while addressing the meeting, informed that aquaculture was a sunshine sector of the economy and fish farming activities were never halted during the COVID pandemic in the district and several success stories have come up in fisheries value chain due to sustained efforts of stakeholders and several flagship programmes undertaken by the Government of Assam, including PMMSY, Ghare Ghare Pukhuri Ghare Maach, RKVY and APART.

"To name a few, Sun Women Self Help Group under Pradhan Mantri Matshya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) in Deudhutruri village has been able to gain full-time employment in Pen Culture releasing 61000 IMC and exotic Carps (mostly Grass Carp) advanced fingerlings (Weight: 100-150g) which has grown to 0.8-1.25 Kg within a span of 7 months and harvested 2000 kg and earned a profit of Rs 1.5 lakh," Dr. Sarma said.

Dr. Sarma also pointed out that due to intervention of paddy-cum-fish farming, beel fisheries development and freshwater prawn culture taken up by farmer's producer group and conversion of low-lying area to fish tank by SHG; Goalpara district had been able to produce around 12,500 MT of fish during 2021-22.

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