Small-scale fish breeding units can empower women

Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) director (marketing) N Ramesh on Thursday said that the huge potential of ornamental fish sector was left largely untapped in the State.

Speaking at the inaugural function of a three-day national seminar on recent trends and practices in ornamental fishery with special emphasis on promotion of women entrepreneurship in aquaculture at Andhra Loyola College, he said, “Farmers of AP who are in the forefront in the field of aquaculture, should focus on ornamental fishery as it has good income potential. With the available infrastructure, ornamental fishery can be taken up in a big way in the State by aquaculturists.’’

Ramesh said that the MPEDA was planning to promote ornamental fishery by creating awareness among aquaculturists about its income potential and training them in the cultivation of ornamental fish.

“Considerable employment for rural youth could be generated by promoting ornamental fishery as it could be taken up as cottage and small scale breeding units. At present, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu are major exporters of ornamental fish in the country. Vijayawada is an ideal place for promoting ornamental fishery as it has good road and rail connectivity. The returns in the ornamental fishery are high and the risk involved in breeding ornamental fish is manageable. MPEDA is planning to provide financial assistance to farmers and rural youth who are interested in taking up ornamental fishery,’’ he said.

Acharya Nagarjuna University zoology department head P Padmavati said, “India’s share in the global ornamental fish market is just 1 per cent while other Asian countries like Singapore, Hong Kong and Thailand are leading exporters. West Bengal, Kerala and Tamil Nadu are the hotspots of mega fish diversity in the country. There are bright chances to increase the trade volume of ornamental fish to Rs 110 crore from the present Rs 10 crore with little effort. The fish breeding industry sustains through a major shift from capture to culture. It is also proved that captive breeding can produce a number of strains with biological colour improvisation in body shapes. Maintaining an aquarium at home is said to be the world’s second best hobby. Hence, the government should focus on promoting ornamental fishery in a big way for empowerment of women in the State.”

Lectures on ‘Mapping of Indigenous Ornamental Fish of West Bengal Using Open Source GIS’ by P Ramachandra Prasad and Sr Japamalai, ‘Role of Women In Promoting The Innovative Methods of Ornamental Fish Culture and Aquaculture’ by K Lakshmi, S Harshitha, J Pavani and M Rajitha, ‘Emphasis on women entrepreneurship in ornamental fish culture for the newly formed State of Andhra Pradesh’ by T Anita Susan and ‘Aquatic Organisms Other Than Fish As Ornamental Fish’ by David Solomon Raj Dasari and Annapurna were delivered on the first day of the seminar.

MPEDA deputy director S Kandan, college rector Fr D Ravi Sekhar, correspondent Fr S Raju, principal Fr GAP Kishore, Zoology Department head Fr P Antony, seminar organising secretary G Mathew Srirangam and other faculty were present.