Shri Sagar Mehra, Joint Secretary, DoF, Govt of India, visited ICAR CMFRI and CSIR-CSMCRI, Marine Algal Research Station, Mandapam Regional Centre Joint Secretary (Inland Fisheries) Shri Sagar Mehra along with Shri Subhash Chandra, Director (Fisheries) and Dr. Gunamaya Patra visited the Mandapam Regional Centre of ICAR-CMFRI on 29th & 30th June 2024. The Joint Secretary held detailed discussions with the Scientists of CMFRI and CSMCRI.        
         
The Joint Secretary visited the various facilities of CMFRI like the Marine Fish Broodbank, Marine Hatchery, Recirculatory Aquaculture System, Museum, Marine Aquarium and the Fish Farm. 
 
The Joint Secretary along with the Scientists of CMFRI and officials of the Ramanathapuram office of TN Fisheries Department visited the seaweed farming site at Munaikadu village in Palk Bay and interacted with the farmers and enquired about the challenges and issues they encounter in upscaling the seaweed farming. 
 
The Joint Secretary opined that CMFRI has the requisite expertise and infrastructure for promoting Seaweed cultivation. During discussion, CMFRI experts that there about 1500 families engaged in sea weed farming at present and three is huge potential. Present annual production of sea weed is appx 5000 ton per hectare however it can be increased in manifolds policy interventions.
 
He also stressed the need for developing seaweed farming in cluster based approach along the coast of Ramanathapuram, Pudukkottai and Thanjavur districts of Tamil Nadu. Ramanathapuram is the potential district and neighbouring districts Pudukodai and Tanjavur also cultivating seaweed. The Joint Secretary visited the laboratory facilities at CSIR-CSMCRI and interacted with the Scientists. He also visited the ornamental fish rearing unit at Mandapam and enquired about the roadmap for developing ornamental fisheries with the support under the ongoing scheme and programs of the Department of Fisheries, Govt Of India.

  

 

 

  
 
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