CHENNAI: The fish catch this season is expected to dwindle following the cyclonic weather conditions in the coastal areas, according to an expert.Principal scientist and head of division Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture A R T Arasu told City Express on the sidelines of the national conference on Chennai Aquaculture Technology Meet, that current patterns in the sea will affect the fish catch this season.To a query on the depleting fish wealth in the coastal areas of the state, he blamed the crafts and gear being used to catch fish. He said the catch per unit had diminished and a fisherman, who usually nets 50 kg of fish a day, now has to be happy with only 25 kg a day.The scientist said that the state government was providing subsidies to fishermen to carry on seaweed farming in areas where there was a depletion in the catch. Currently, more than 10,000 families are associated with it along the coastal areas in Rameshwaram and nearby areas. Efforts are also on to help fishermen shift their focus to crabs, and farmers, including the self help groups, are involved in it.Arasu also said that there has been a slight change in the species found in the Tamil Nadu coast due to climate change. “New species of fish have arrived. Earlier, we hardly found sardines and mackerels. But then, we have also lost quality fishes like perches whose numbers have dwindled,” Arasu said.Meanwhile, S Felix, professor and convenor of the forum, said that while India was a large producer of inland fish, ranking next to China in the global production of freshwater inland fish, it had failed to tap the abundant resources. “India has still not been able to tap even 30 per cent of the potential area for inland fish production,” he added.Dr A S Ninawe, advisor to the department of biotechnology, rued the fact that India, which was blessed with a coastline of 800 km with rich biodiversity of flora and fauna, was not able to exploit its resources. “There are technological gaps and a lack of perfection and adoption of suitable aquaculture technology packages for the sector,” he said.“In shrimp culture, we are struggling with a major disease threat which needs to be addressed seriously. Presently, the available treatment measures are inadequate due to the unknown nature of the pathogens,” he added.He said the forum would focus on Raceway Technology for biosecured shrimp farming and sharing of east west experience in Vannamei farming, which has been newly introduced in India. He said the department of biotechnology has supported a programme for the development of prototyping raceway-based third generation shrimp production technology at the Fisheries Institute in Thoothukudi. “This prototype has biological filtration system and water re-circulation to sustain the beneficial microbial population for cultivating shrimp larvae with high survival rate up to 80 per cent with high stocking density,” he added.
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