The Hindu reports that the project was launched by the Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute (CIFRI), Bangalore, in association with the State Fisheries Department.
As much as 80 kg of fish was caught in the first harvest from a demonstration battery which consisted of two cages measuring nine square meters a cage.
A good growth of the fish was recorded. As many as 200 fingerlings of the Indian major carp species had been deposited in a cage nearly seven months ago out of which 160 grew to an average size of 500 grams, B.K. Sudheer Kishan, assistant director-in-charge, Fisheries Department, said.
The project was launched in an effort to sensitise farmers to the scope of caged fish farming.
Caged aquaculture has shown vast potential in the district as the innumerable water bodies, including the reservoirs of the Karapuzha and Banasura Sagar projects, were yet to be tapped, M. Feroz Khan, scientist-in-charge, CIFRI, told The Hindu. Mr Khan was chosen as supervisor of the project.
Moreover, it has been known to be a cost-effective method of fish farming as the farmers could feed, evaluate the growth of the fish, and harvest without any difficulty.
Total harvesting and swift return of investment, less mortality rate, less requirement of manpower, better control of fish population, efficient control of fish competitors and predators and minimum supervision were the added advantages, Mr Khan added.
He said the institute plans on launching caged aquaculture in the Karapuzha reservoir soon.
The harvest was inaugurated by P. Gagarin, president of the Vythiri grama panchayat.
