The biofloc method of fish farming has garnered a lot of criticism in the past with several farmers complaining of crop failures and financial losses in the past. The criticism continues to persist.
One of the most strident criticisms has been that biofloc technique called for minute attention from the farmers, who also needed to understand the intricacies of looking after a biofloc farm and handling the fish stocks.
However, the recent success of success of a biofloc farm in Cheranalloor panchayat is likely to give a fillip to homestead aquaculture and promote nutritional security, says sources in the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, which backed the experiment.
The successful adoption of the method was done by a self-help group belonging to the Scheduled Caste community in Cheranalloor village near Kochi. The farm, comprising a single tank, had a bumper harvest and the team of scientists from CMFRI is confident that the success can be repeated elsewhere.
Senior scientist K. Madhu, who acted as the lead resource person in the Cheranalloor farm, spoke at the harvest of the fishes at the farm. He said that there has been standardisation of the procedures to help the farmers so that the biofloc method can succeed repeatedly to boost aquaculture.
Dr. Madhu also said that the survival rate had been impressive. M. K. Vinod, who took up biofloc farming with the support of CMFRI said that the system was not as complicated as it was made out to be. He said the biofloc method is suited to integrated farming. He pointed to the banana plants that were being irrigated by wastewater from the biofloc tank and which were flourishing under the care.
Biofloc technology is a method of high-density fish farming in a controlled environment in which fish wastages are converted into useful nutrients.
With the harvested fish attaining a growth of 500 to 550 grams on average, the farmers expect a total of around 900 kgs of fish. The farming activities in the unit was started in November last year by stocking 1,800 seeds of genetically modified farmed tilapia.
CMFRI provided the self-help group in the village assistance, including a biofloc tank that can hold 23,500 litres of water. The institute also provided fish seeds, feed and technical guidance under its Scheduled Caste Sub Plan.
A. Gopalakrishnan, director of CMFRI, said that the institute focused on reaching its research output to the needy section of the society, including women and transgender people. Dr. Madhu said that the CMFRI team monitored different phases of the farming to ensure that fishes attained maximum growth. A water quality kit also was supplied to the SHG to maintain the required parameter.
