Ornamental fishing to benefit rural farmers

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, September 6

A three-day training programme on ‘Ornamental fish farming’ was organised at College of Fisheries, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU) to promote ornamental fish culture among fish farmers, unemployed youth and women.

While inaugurating the training programme, Asha Dhawan, Dean, College of Fisheries, said the global ornamental fish trade was worth Rs 2,000 crore with an average annual growth rate of 14 per cent. It contributed significantly to rural development through livelihood generation in many developing countries including India with an ornamental fish market worth Rs 50 crore contributing 0.32 per cent to global ornamental fish trade.

The participants including hobbyists and traders from different districts of Punjab were imparted technical know-how on different aspects of ornamental fish culture such as identification of important cultivable varieties; culture and breeding processes; feed and feeding management; water quality management; pond management; disease management; propagation of aquatic plant; aquarium fabrication; decoration and maintenance.

Vaneet Inder Kaur and Sachin Onkar Khairnar said a small backyard culture and breeding model with an average earning of Rs 8,000 to 9,000 per month had been developed in the college for demonstration and skill development in the farming as well as non-farming communities including rural household women, youth, hobbyists and traders.

Brood stock rearing and seed production of various ornamental fish varieties such as Koi Carp, Gold fish, Molly, Platy and sword tail had already been carried out successfully at College of Fisheries and the technologies were being demonstrated to the masses through regular training programmes.

While addressing the trainees, the chief guest at the valedictory function, Harish Kumar Verma, Director, Extension Education, GADVASU, asked all the participants to adopt small scale enterprise such as ornamental fisheries for additional income and financial security.

Verma also informed the trainees about various training programmes conducted by GADVASU and advised them to keep in touch with experts and their fellow farmers for updates. Feedbacks with suggestions from the participants were recorded for impact assessment and improvement to make trainings farmers-friendly.