CIFRI Awards
Sunderban is one of the richest biodiversity hotspot andhas been considered as World Heritagesite, also a part of Ganga Brahmaputra delta, acrossing10,000 square kilometres. About 5.1 million people live in the villages of the Sunderban and depend on its biodiversity. Though the main source of livelihood is agriculture but the local people also depend on alternative activities like collection of forest products, seed collection, fishing etc.
ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute has been working in Sunderban rural area for livelihood improvement of small and marginal fishers through CIFRI technologies. The institute is also aimed at nutritional security, women empowerment, production enhancement and income augmentation in the rural areas of Sunderbans. ICAR-CIFIR has provided skill development training in “ornamental fisheries”, “canal fisheries development”, fish production enhancement from derelict water bodies and individual waterbodies. Apart from skill development training, the institute has provided inputs like fish seed, FRP tanks for Ornamental fish culture, fish feed, lime etc for the improvement of the livelihood. Awareness progrmmes has been conducted to make the rural fishers of Sunderban aware about the CIFRI technologies, which will help them in increasing their income through various fisheries-related activities. One ornamental village cluster was developed by the institute at Kultoli in which 35 SC/ST women are engaged in ornamental fish farming. A total of 1620 beneficiaries were benefitted from ICAR-CIFRI activities in the year 2021-22.
ICAR-CIFRI, Barrackpore has participated in 25thSundarbanKrishtiMela O Loko Sanskriti Utsab and bagged 1st prize under NMCG project entitled ‘Fish Stock Enhancement including Hilsaand Livelihood Improvement for Sustainable Fisheries and Conservation in River Ganga’, from 28th January to 6th February 2022 at Kultoli, Sundarban, West Bengal.Dr. Basanta Kumar Das, Director, ICAR-CIFRI visited the programme and received ‘Life Time Achievement Award’ on 4th February 2022. He deliberated speech on Impact of COVID on Ganga River fisheries and created awareness among the local people including fishers and other stakeholders towards conservation of indigenous fishes, Hilsa and dolphin in river Ganga. He also shared the activities regarding various inputs from CIFRI to 500 beneficiariesin post COVID situation. ‘National Mission for Clean Ganga’ pavilion showcasing different ongoing activities of the project, Ganga fish and fisheries related books, pamphlets, leaflets, fishing gears, posters etc., under the programme ‘NAMAMI GANGE’. The Pavilion included various publication of NMCG describing overall activities by NMCG to make the river Ganga clean.The exhibition witnessed the participation of several local dignitaries, school students and local people including fishermen communities. Special radio-talk regarding on-going activities under NMCG project was covered by Akash Vani on 28th January and on 2nd February, the radio talk was covered by All India Radio and Doordarshan. Around 1200 to 1500 visitors were observed per day in the NMCG pavilion. Visitors like school students, academicians, researchers and fishers were enlightened about the present threats to fish diversity and ways of sustainable management as well as Hilsa and dolphin conservation. The exhibition not only created about the conservation, biodiversity of river Ganga to the people but also different aspects of inland fisheries with a greater visibility in the sectors.
Updated on 11/02/2022
