I am extremely happy to attend the inaugural function of the Fourth Advisory Committee Meeting of the FAO/UNDP's Regional Project on Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia (NACA) at Bhubaneswar today. Realising the importance of aquaculture in developing countries as a source of animal protein, its immense production potential, its role in employment generation, UNDP, in recent years, has taken steps to promote aquaculture development in Asia, Latin America and Africa, sharing thus, the development efforts of member countries in this field. NACA is an off-shoot of this strategy for Asian region. I note with satisfaction that NACA lays great stress on training and information exchange within the region as part of its efforts in promotion of aquaculture development. I notice further that NACA also supports multi-disciplinary research on selected species and culture systems. India attaches great importance to fisheries, and more particularly to aquaculture. Its association with NACA symbolises its intention for regional cooperation in this field in Asia.
Aqua-food Production:
Fish culture has been in practice in some parts of Asia and Europe from ancient times. Yet aquaculture as a means of producing fish, shell fish and aquatic plants in fresh, brackish and salt waters is relatively new and is spreading fast. The limits of sustainable yield from natural fish stocks, and the fishing restrictions brought about by the new laws of the sea have spurred a large number of countries to turn to aquaculture as a complementary means of aqua-food production.
Institutional Growth:
Till the year 1947 emphasis had been placed in Indian on food production through land-based systems like agriculture, animal huabandry, dairy etc. With the establishment of fisheries research stations by the Government of India, the fisheries sector received increasing attention since then. However, initially the thrust has been on the marine fisheries sector. With the development of highproduction technologies based on carp culture by the Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute (CIFRI) and other allied projects and demonstration programmes, the potential of inland aquaculture was duly recognised. Development measures in carp culture were set in motion in the Vth and VIth Five-Year Plans. The fish farmers have been supplied various inputs for further extension of fish culture. Many such programmes are implemented through 50 Fish Farmers Development Agencies (FFDAs). The World Bank-assisted inland fisheries project in the States of Orissa, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh provides for 27 hatchery-cum-seed farms, 58 FFDAs with a plan to bring more than one lake ha of ponds and tanks under carp culture. Integrated Rural Development Programmes (IRDP) and TRYSEM programmes also helped in training fish farmers and unemployed rural youth in fish farming. The ICAR's Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), Trainers' Training Centre (TTCs) and Lab-to-Land Programmes (LLPs) also help in transfer of technology.
Conservation of Inland Resources:
The natural fisheries of rivers, lakes, ox-bow lakes, estuaries, lagoons and backwaters are continually exploited and account for about 90% of inland fish production of one million tonnes and only 10% comes from culture fisheries. Due to various factors like discharge of industrial effluents, sewage and river valley development projects, the aquatic environment appears to have been degraded beyond optimal level. Such activities have already changed the complexion of fisheries and fish productivity of the major rivers like ganga, Brahmaputra etc. Therefore, future effort and emphasis should be on conservation of these resources.
Scope for Culture Fisheries:
The importance of aquaculture, under these circumstances, assumes greater importance in this country than ever before. The country has extensive physical inland aquacultural resources - and estimated 1.6 million ha of ponds and tanks, and estimated 3 million ha of water area of reservoirs, an estimated 0.9 million ha of culturable brackishwater area and extensive areas under ox-bow lakes. In addition, extensive areas of Borrowpits all along the roads and rail tracts are available. There is considerable scope for integration of paddy cultivation with fishculture in rain-fed low lying areas. All these resources are suitable for fish culture or stocking-oriented management and hold high production potential. We have in this country technologies and management norms developed by Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute for freshwater fish culture, brackishwater fish culture, seed production capabilities of these technologies is ponderously slow. CIFRI achieved a major break through in induced breeding of major carps as early as 1959 and the refined breeding technique and hatchery models were available in early 1960s. Yet it took well over two decades for this technology to percolate and make some impact in the country though ‘seed’ is recognized as a crucial input in culture system by one and all. CIFRI evolved composite fish culture technology as early as 1966 but it took another 15 years to recognise the importance of this culture system in inland fish production. All these are pointer to the fact that technologies alone are no panacea for aquaculture development as much as their transfer and rate of adoption by farmers and the infrastructure that goes with such transfer system such as training, input supply, Institutional credit, organization such as cooperative, corporation etc.
India has a tradition in fish farming dating back to several centuries, though restricted to Bengal and neighbouring States. The traditional system of fish culture, based on empirical knowledge, is largely carporiented, dependent on natural seed made of desirable and undesirable varieties and gave a poor yield. The major carps are undoubtedly the best culturable species for freshwater system especially in tropics. They are eurythermal, fast growing, amenable to supplementary feed, has high fecundity and could adapt to diverse ecological conditions. In addition, they have a great domestic market. As such carp culture system took major share of CIFRI's research efforts in post-independent India.
CIFRI achieved a major breakthrough in breeding of major carps in captivity through administration of pituitary extract in 1959, evolved a package of practices for seed production and developed a production technology based on species-mix made of three Indian major carp carps and three exotic major carp species. A production in the rate 4–6 tonnes/ha has been demonstrated in non-drainable ponds under different eco-climatic conditions of the country. A production of 10 t/ha has been demonstrated year after year in ponds with limited water exchange facilities. With aeration facilities and artificial feeding, double this rate of production can be easily accomplished. Major carps are also found suitable for culture in sewage-fed ponds, jute retted waters, in cages and pens yielding high rates of production.
Integrated Farming Systems:
Similarly, under integrated farming systems involving major carps with paddy, ducks and pigs, production rates varying between 3.5 to 7 tonnes/ha/yr have been obtained.
The country's inland fish production is expected to go up by 2 million tonnes in the next five years if carp oriented production technologies are adopted in the country and developmental machinery suitab: geared up. According to aquaculture experts the annual inland aquaculture production potential of the country is of the order of 8 million tonnes. According to conservative estimate of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, the country's fish requirements by 2000 A.D. would be of the order of 12.5 million tonnes.
UNDP Assistance for FARTC:
I am happy that UNDP took cognisance of the pre-eminent position of CIFRI in carp farming research and had recognized the Freshwater Aquaculture Research and Training Centre (FARTC) of CIFRI as the Lead Centre on carp culture research under Regional NACA system. I like to acknowledge here the excellent support extended by UNDP to FARTC through country programme in terms of equipments, consultants and fellowships for strengthening the disciplines in fish diseases, digestive physiology, fish nutrition and feed formulation, reproductive physiology, fish genetics, pond microbiology, environmental monitoring, weed control and biomodelling. FARTC has since made excellent progress in disciplinary research in these areas and has become truly a centre of advanced studies in carp farming research. The Project could identify important gaps in research especially of seed production, brood stock management and fish culture. The technologies developed have permeated all over the country and the farmers have adopted the scientific methods of fish culture. The Development Departments in all the States have also propagated techniques through FFDAs. The individual farmers are able to produce their own seed and grow fish on scientific lines. Even women in rural areas are involving themselves in fish farming.
The training component of the Project has been most useful in training Indian scientists in areas of interest to the country (in catfish culture, brackishwater prawn culture and integrated fish farming). These trainees are now involved in similar projects in the country so that they can utilize the knowledge gained by them abroad. Similarly, trainees from other countries have benefited from the knowledge and expertise available in India on carp culture. Such areas have been identified as priority areas for research in the Seventh Five-Year Plan. The technologies developed at the Dhauli Centre are being experimented under different agro-climatic conditions in the country through the All India Coordinated Research Project on Composite Fish Culture. I also like to acknowledge the assistance received from NACA in training of senior and middle-level technicians and aquaculturists in various regional technologies and assistance in infrastructure development in computer information system supported by soft ware developed by FAO and IDRC.
The fish culture in fallow ponds and tanks has zero-gestation period, involves low capital, is labour-intensive, has rural orientation and has high rate of return on investment and is thus eminently suited for developing countries, and more so in Asia. We would be happy to share our experience in carp farming with other member countries. We are aware that China has made considerable advance in integrated farming systems, Philippines in brackishwater aquaculture and Thailand in catfish farming and freshwater prawn culture and seed production. These countries are also Lead Centres under NACA in their areas of specialisation. We would like to benefit from their aquacultural experiences, expertise and technologies. I am sure NACA would evolve suitable mechanism for exchange of technologies within member countries of the region.
I am satisfied that NACA has a pivotal role to play in aquaculture development in the region. Since many countries in the region have common interest in certain species and culture systems there should be the scope for avoidance of duplication of effort. I observe that NACA has plans to establish National Aquaculture Centres in some countries in the region. These and Lead Centres could be useful in testing and verifying technologies developed in one country in another. NACA's performance in training and development of information exchange infrastructure in the course of three years is commendable. I sanguinely hope that UNDP would continue to support this Institution.
I am happy to say that present NACA project had created a great awareness about the benefits of aquaculture in different parts of the country. Since India is deeply interested in regional cooperation and dully supports such programmes as NACA Project, the CIFRI has now proposed a new Project for assistance to the Regional Lead Centre in India and the Network of Aquaculture Cnetres in Asia for a period of three years. The primary function of the new project would be to strengthen national and regional capacities for expanded development of aquaculture through TCDC framework and the secondary function would be to promote regional self-reiance in aquaculture development. This Project is now being processed.
I look forward to fruitful discussion on various activities of NACA and their impact on aquaculture development in the region in the Advisory Committee Meeting during the next two days and let me wish the deliberation all success.
