CIFRI Awards
An awareness programme on ‘Enclosure culture for fish production in reservoir’ was organized by ICAR-CIFRI in collaboration with Department of Fisheries, Govt. of Manipur at Mapithel dam, Kamjong district, Manipur on 29.10.2021 under the NEH Component of the Institute. Mapithel dam is a newly commissioned dam (commissioned on 27th December, 2020) and is the largest reservoir of Manipur with an area of 1182 ha. The main purpose of the programme was to create awareness about enclosure aquaculture as a livelihood option for the displaced farmers of the region and to educate them on the subject. The awareness programme was attended by Mr. Kamshing Ahum, Additional Director of Fisheries, Manipur; Mr. Y. Nabachandra, DFO, Ukhrul district and fisheries officials (Shri N. Hemchandra, Fishery Officer; Mr. Suresh Singh, Fishery Inspector); Mr. Roxson Kasung, Progessive fish farmer; local participants and ICAR-CIFRI team (Dr. Sona Yengkokpam, Sr. Scientist; Dr. N. Samarendra Singh, Scientist and Ms. T. Nirupada Chanu, Scientist). A total of 38 fishers from the village participated in the programme. Mr. Kamshing Ahum welcomed the officials and participants and stated that Mapithel dam has huge potential for fisheries development. The local people who were displaced due to the dam do not have much options for their livelihood and hence some of them have initiated fish culture in cages on their own. However, they do not have much knowledge and scientific protocol for cage culture. In this backdrop, Department of Fisheries, Govt. of Manipur urged ICAR-CIFRI to provide training and create awareness about cage culture in the reservoir. Mr. Y. Nabachandra Singh thanked CIFRI for reaching out to the remote area of the state and assured full help and support from the Department for any future collaboration. Dr. Sona Yengkokpam discussed in details about cage construction, setting up of cages, stocking of fish seed, feeding and other management practices. Ms. Nirupada Chanu advised the fishers not to carry out destructive fishing such as poisoning and dynamite fishing and to observe fishing ban during breeding season in the reservoir. Mr. Roxson Kasung informed that there are 126 cage units in the dam at present, out of which many are yet to be functional due to lack of inputs. He thanked the organizers of this programme and promised to make use of the knowledge gained through this programme. Dr. B. K. Das, Director, ICAR-CIFRI, Barrackpore is the Coordinator and Dr. B. K. Bhattacharjya, Head (Acting), ICAR-CIFRI Regional Centre, Guwahati is the PI of NEH Component.
Updated on 02/11/2021
