Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], January 27: Fisheries and aquaculture are perhaps essential contributory factors to food security and nutrition in contemporary times. Being the 6 highest fish-producing state, Chhattisgarh has diverse water bodies and rivers, idle for efficacious pisciculture. The neighboring states of Odisha Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal are among the high fish consumers, which provides Chhattisgarh with immense scope for developing a lucrative fish business nationwide. The Chhattisgarh state government has therefore opted to high-impact advanced initiatives for optimal fish production which would accelerate the Sustainable Development Goals for the state’s agriculture. The Bastar district, which has already set benchmarks in unconventional agriculture through coffee, Cashew and swaying papaya harvest, is set to do something phenomenal in aquaculture as well. Fish production using the advanced cage-farming technique is being done under Bastar District Administration’s initiative at the Kosarteda Dam. Although pisciculture was prevalent in the dam, the harvest was difficult due to a lack of adequate setup and equipment. Therefore, in view of the same, the district administration provided 90 enclosed cages with complex mesh walls to allow free ingress-egress of fresh water and openings for feeding and maintenance. 2000 fish-stock of Exotic Carp, Pangasius and GIFT Tilapia Spices are being reared in each cage. The total harvest is expected to generate over 3 metric tonnes fishes and an annual earning of up to 1.30 lakhs for each member. Under this technique not only the production is higher with better quality owing to the flowing water, but the maintenance is also lower. Bastar District Administration’s initiative to enhance freshwater fish production in the district will benefit about 200 farmers and a crucial amount of rupees 3 crores and 41 lakhs have been sanctioned to the farmers to date by the administration for cages and other farming amenities, which the farmers will return back to the district administration in the form of an annual tax to be levied on profit.?

Two farming Cooperative societies i.e. Primary Tribal Fisheries Co-Operative Society Salemeta-1, and Primary Fisheries Cooperative Society Kamela, are engaged at Kosarteda, consisting of about 100 farmers each and 45 such cages have been allotted to each group. The district administration shall also provide an appropriate market for fish trade along with this, a 60% subsidy is being provided by the state government for this farming. The farmers who are enthusiastic about cage-farming procedures are being trained sufficiently to ensure high accuracy and better production. For the same, a training team of veterinary doctors has been constituted who will train these farmers for the coming 6 months. Sharing his experience, Ramdas Kashyap, of Primary Fisheries Cooperative Society Kamela, said that, since always I have done fishing at the Kosarteda Dam, but earlier the catch would hardly suffice. However now with the installation of the cage-farming system, the supervision and nurturing of the fish is easier. Along with this, we are also being trained in this technique and subsidies have also been provided by the government for fish farming. Pritam Patel of the Salemeta Co-Operative Society, who has lately taken-up to cage aquaculture alongside regular farming, says that back then, it was truly difficult to catch fish at Kosartenda and the catch was also scanty and irregular, but now with the cages installed, not only the harvest has become easy but the outcome is also way higher. Along with this, we are also receiving proper training in fish farming.?

District Collector Chandan Kumar said, “It is?a fact that this part of the food industry will always be in high demand so sales and profit are ensured and Kosarteda dam with a 764.38-hectare water area, was lying unutilized. Therefore, we took up this opportunity after closely studying the cage culture technique. We observed that?besides being sustainable, this?fish farming?initiative is?not only?environmentally friendly and high-profit?yielding but also socially equitable for creating job opportunities for Bastar youth in aquaculture”.Bastar District Administration’s vision to fast-track the district's agriculture economy through this initiative is all poised to change the lives of Bastar’s marginalized fish farmers by delivering a three-pronged advantage of the enhanced socio-economic profile, food and nutrition security, and sustainable aquaculture for Bastar farmers.?