THOOTHUKUDI
Fishermen at Sippikulam village in Vilathikulam taluk in the district were exposed to lobster fish farming through cage culture on Wednesday.
In a bid to generate income among the fisherfolk, the project, Fisheries Management for Sustainable Livelihood, was launched by Fisheries Department with the technical guidance of Tuticorin Research Centre of Central Marine Fisheries and Research Institute (CMFRI).
Thirteen cages were kept in the sea near the shore and lobster seeds, each weighing 60 grams to 70 grams, were procured from Kanniyakumari district. Around thousand seeds could be stocked in a cage. Lobster seed could grow to weigh 300 grams to 400 grams in three months, sources told The Hindu .
It could attain a maximum weight of one kg, but normally the lobster would be marketed before it grew to that stage. The market value of one kg of lobster ranged from ₹2,000 to ₹3,000 depending on its size, the sources said.
Rayappan Rexon, a local fisherman, said this project would certainly improve the livelihood of the fisherfolk since lobster had a good export market potential. Lobster was mainly exported to European countries, he said.
