The Ernakulam Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) under ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) has released grass carp juveniles into the Kadupadam Chira, Mookkannur, near Angamaly. Grass carps is a fresh water fish that eats aquatic plants.
The release of the juvenile fishes is part of a joint mission to rejuvenate the waterbody with the support of Kadupadam Chira Samrakshana Samithi and Matsya Club under the Union government’s Swachh Bharat campaign, said a communication from CMFRI here on Wednesday.
Grass carp (cenopharyngodon idella) has been successfully used in the past by KVK to tackle weed menace in water bodies in the district. KVK stepped in to grow the fish in ponds as the water bodies continue to be fast-infested with weeds even after repeated manual clearing.
According to KVK, only around 20 grass carps are enough to clear a one-acre water body infested with weeds. “This fish consumes aquatic plants up to two or three times its total body weight on an average. Since it does not breed, there is no chance for proliferation of the fish in the pond,” said Shinoj Subramannian, head of KVK.
