Scientific fish farming launched in Tirumalai Nagar

INDIA - Fishermen of Tirumalai Nagar near Pulicat are a happy lot these days. Reason: They have an alternative source of income.

Mud crab farming facility and use of lobster fattening devices have been introduced in the fishing village jointly by the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) and the State Fisheries Department. The new programme would benefit about 300 people living in this fishing hamlet.

For lobster fattening, 32 fibreglass cages, which could hold about 50 to 75 lobsters each, has been placed at a depth of two metre.

Fibreglass pens are being used for mud crab farming also. A total of seven pens have been erected along the coast. It would take three to four months for the fishermen to harvest mud crabs, NIOT authorities said.

Non-corrosive and long-lasting materials have been used for making the pens and cages, said R. Venkatesan, Group Head, Ocean Science and technology for Islands, of the NIOT. The crabs and lobsters are grown in natural and pollution-free environments, Dr. Venkatesan said.

Source: The Hindu