With an aim to increasing domestic fish production, about four lakh fish seeds were deposited at Erattayar North of the Idukki reservoir diversion dam on Thursday.
It is part of a project being implemented by the Fisheries Department to deposit fish seeds in reservoirs and dams.
One-month-old fish seeds of mrigal, rohu, katla and common carp were developed at the Fisheries Department hatchery at Polachira, near Thiruvalla and the project will be launched at Vandiperiyar, Ponmudi dam, Thodupuzha, and Malankara dam in the first phase.
Fisheries Department assistant director P. Sreekumar said the project aimed at increasing fish wealth, which was on a decline due to water pollution, climate change, and unscientific fishing. He said fishing in the dam would be banned for three months to help fishes grow. The fisheries management council under the grama panchayat will oversee the fishing ban.
Grama panchayat president Aniamma Joseph said many farmers in Erattayar were growing fish in check dams and ponds. There was much demand for locally grown fish and subsidies were given to those who farm fish as per the directive of the Fisheries Department. She said it provided the farmers an extra income.
She said the public should co-operate with the efforts to increase the fish wealth in the dam.
