Fish farmers feel that a community-based approach is the need of the hour to improve the ornamental fish industry. A collective effort by scientists, researchers, administrators, traders and others connected with the fish farming sector was required to boost productivity.
These suggestions by the fish farmers were made at the Orna farmers meet, held as part of an international seminar on ornamental fish breeding, culture and trade in connection with the ongoing Ornamentals Kerala 2014 expo.
They also spoke about problems and challenges in the fish farming sector. Experts from different parts of the world took part in the interactive session. Institutions connected with the fish industry like the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS), CMFRI, CIFT, FIRMA and Matsyafed should be networked and be made accessible to farmers, they said.
When the farmers aired their difficulty in getting brood stock of some species at affordable prices, Dr. B. Madhusoodana Kurup, Vice-Chancellor of KUFOS said that the institution was prepared to support them in various ways.
Buyer-sellerA buyer-seller meet will be organised on Tuesday at Marine Drive, the venue of Ornamentals Kerala 2014. The show will end on Tuesday with a public meeting scheduled for 5 p.m.
More than 300 fishermen participated in Kadalarivukal , a seminar on traditional knowledge base in the fisheries sector, organised as part of the exhibition. . Fisheries Director Mini Antony said that the department would compile the traditional knowledge of fishermen and bring out a book.
