Kerala - Kalpetta   

Fish hatchery unit soon in Wayanad

Fish-farming avenues: Fisheries Minister S. Sarma inaugurating a function of the ‘Matsya Keralam’ project at Koliyadi, near Sulthan Bathery, in Wayanad on Thursday.

KALPETTA: Fisheries Minister S. Sarma has said that a fish- hatchery unit will be set up in Wayanad for the comprehensive development of inland fisheries in the district.

He was speaking after inaugurating a district-level function of the ‘Matsya Keralam’ project at Koliyadi, near Sulthan Bathery, on Thursday.

Mr. Sarma said the unit, which would cost Rs.48 lakh, would supply fingerlings to the fish farmers in the district. Now, they got the supply from the Malampuzha hatchery, which caused many difficulties.

He said though the State government had targeted fish farming on 50 hectares of inland waterbodies in 25 panchayats in the district under the project, more than 65 hectares had been covered within a short span of time.

Mr .Sarma said the project aimed at the comprehensive development of inland fisheries in the State, in association with the local bodies, and increasing the annual fish production from 75,000 tonnes to 2,00,000 tonnes within two years. A latest survey reported that 10,000 hectares of waterbodies in the State could be utilised for fish farming under the project.

He said fish farmers’ clubs had been constituted in all panchayats in the district under the project. The government envisaged supply of fingerlings through the grama panchayats in the third phase of the project. It would provide funds, technical assistance, fingerlings, subsidy and insurance coverage to the fish farmers.

Though the district had been gifted with natural resources, the people were in misery for various reasons and the project would help to improve their life.

Mr. Sarma inaugurated a demonstration plot of a model fisheries farm. P. Krishnaprasad, MLA, presided. Valsa Chacko, district panchayat president, T. Bhaskaran, District Collector, and P.M. Joy, president, block panchayat, Sulthan Bathery, spoke.

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Fish hatchery unit soon in Wayanad

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