ICAR-CIFRI established ornamental fish farming unit for women fishers of Khalsi Beel

ICAR-CIFRI has developed an ornamental fish farming unit for scheduled caste women fishers in Khalsi to improve their livelihood.

Khalsi is a horseshoe-shaped flood plain wetland, which is connected to river Jamuna in Nadia district of West Bengal. Around 300 fishermen are part of the Khalsi Cooperative. However, only 157 active fishers of this beel are involved in fishing.

Under the guidance of Dr. B. K. Das, Director, ICAR-CIFRI an ornamental cluster has been developed in this beel area. A group was made taking 25 SC women, who have been selected by the Khalsi cooperative for the ornamental cluster development.

The women were trained on ornamental fish keeping and breeding. Dr. Das distributed ornamental fish, fish feed, other accessories along with FRP tanks to the women beneficiaries. “This will help them to improve their livelihood through the selling of ornamental fish,” said Dr Das.

Kolkata is a big market for ornamental fish. Keeping the market demand in mind, this cluster has been developed for ornamental fish. A meeting was arranged on 20^th September 2020 maintaining the social distance. Mask and sanitizers were also distributed to the participants. Dr. P. K. Parida, Nodal officer, SCSP, ICAR-CIFRI also addressed the gathering and encouraged the women entrepreneurs to take the challenge of ornamental fish culture for their livelihood improvement.

A training program was also arranged for the women fishers on ornamental fish farming for their skill up-gradation with a practical demonstration during 19^th to 21^st September 2020. Both theory and practices were carried out in the training program in the village for building the confidence of the women fishers on ornamental fish farming with handholding support.

Director, ICAR-CIFRI had a long discussion with the fishers’ Cooperative for the fish production enhancement strategy in the beel. As per the strategy 4 pens, 6 coracles and 1.2-ton fish feed were supplied to the fishers of Khalsi for in-situ raising of fish seed as the stocking material for the production enhancement from the beel on   21^st September 2020. The program was coordinated by Dr. Lianthuamluaia, Snageeta Chakaraborty, . Kausik Mondal and Shrya Bhattachrya. 

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