CIFRI Awards
ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Barrackpore in collaboration with Department of Fisheries, Govt. of Tripura initiated experimental culture of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) in cages in Dumbur reservoir, Gomati district, Tripura with an objective to validate the technology across different waterbodies and states of Northeast. Cage aquaculture technology developed by ICAR-CIFRI is gaining significant momentum from State and Central agencies in Northeastern states with installations and demonstrations spanning across several wetlands and reservoirs of the region including Dumbur reservoir of Tripura. The water-spread area of Dumbur is 3050 ha; if 10% of the reservoir is brought under cage culture, then 305 ha will be available for rearing fish in cages. It is strongly felt that experimental demonstration for standardizing certain parameters of the technology (such as stocking density, feeding rate etc) for locally demanded fish species is required so that reservoir fishers can scientifically practice cage culture and make profits. ICAR-CIFRI is working in this direction for encouraging successful adoption of the technology in openwaters of Northeast India. The present experiment of culturing common carp in cages installed in Dumbur reservoir, Gomati district, Tripura was initiated by ICAR-CIFRI under the leadership of Dr. B.K. Das, Director, ICAR-CIFRI, Barrackpore & Project Coordinator-NEH Component and guidance of Dr. J.K. Jena, DDG (Fisheries Science), ICAR, New Delhi. A total of 20,000 fingerlings of Cyprinus carpio were transported from government fish seed farm of Amarpur and stocked in ten cages (6 m length x 4 m breadth x 4 m depth) installed in Dumbur reservoir on 25 th February, 2021. ICAR-CIFRI has also provided 10 tons of CIFRI CageGrow floating feed for feeding the caged fishes. Dr. B.K. Bhattacharjya, Head, ICAR-CIFRI Regional Centre, Guwahati & Principal Investigator of NEH Component steered successful implementation of the activity in Dumbur reservoir of Tripura with on-field supervision of Dr. Dipesh Debnath, Senior Scientist and Dr. Shyamal Chandra Sukla Das, Scientist, ICAR-CIFRI Regional Centre, Guwahati. Initiation of the experiment was possible with active support from Shri D.K. Chakma, TCS, Director of Fisheries; Shri Nanda Gopal Noatia, DDF (C & D), Directorate of Fisheries; Shri Ajoy Das, SF, Amarpur; Shri Madan Tripura, SF, Jatanbari; Shri Binoy Roy, FO, Amarpur; officials of Department of Fisheries, Govt. of Tripura and selected fishers of Dumbur reservoir who are the actual beneficiaries. Presently, Dumbur reservoir has 180 cage installations and having sanctions for more than 1500 cages that are to be installed. However, these cages are yet to be utilized to their fullest capacities depriving the fishers with limited benefits. With this demonstration of cage culture in the reservoir in active collaboration with Department of Fisheries, Govt. of Tripura, it is expected that the fishers will take up the technology as a profitable enterprise in near future.
