Buoyed by achieving a breakthrough in mass scale seed production of orange-spotted grouper (Epinephelus coiodes), the Central Marine Fisheries Institute (CMFRI) has decided to take the technology from lab to field by encouraging pond culture by a group of progressive farmers.
Expected to contribute significantly to improve the livelihood of fishermen by culturing orange spotted grouper, in high demand in domestic and overseas market for its taste, the CMFRI has selected four farmers to undertake pond culture at Srikakulam, Mutyalammapalem (Visakhapatnam), Kakinada (East Godavari) and Nagayalanka (Krishna) from early January under its guidance.
Guidance to farmers
The CMFRI will follow the training the trainer concept to popularise the production of the grouper, a commercially important carnivorous fish. The CMFRI will guide the farmers selected by it on how to raise fingerlings to table-size fish for successful commercial exploitation.
After feed and water quality manipulation, the CMFRI Visakhapatnam Regional Centre could be able to increase high survival rate. It achieved 10 to 12 per cent success rate compared to the global standards of 5 to 6 per cent. CMFRI senior scientist in-charge of Visakhapatnam Regional Centre Subhadeep Ghosh has told The Hindu that the training will last six months. They are developing seed in the hatchery, he says. The CMFRI will place six cages in the sea. Seed produced in the hatchery will be used for rearing in the cages.
The team of scientists involved in the entire process included Dr. Ghosh, Dr. Biji Xavier, Dr. Ritesh Ranjan and Dr. Sekar Megharajan. The team will train the farmers on mass scale seed production. CMFRI is successful in developing the technique to preserve green algae – vital for raring larvae of fish. During high temperature in summer the technique will help enable mass scale growth.
The orange-spotted grouper fish fetches Rs. 400 to 450 per kg in wholesale market.
A. Gopalakrishnan
Director of CMFRI
