Workshop to boost climate-smart aquaculture ends
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Fifteen stakeholders including fish/shrimp farmers, aspiring entrepreneurs and students from various districts of Punjab and the neighbouring states took part in the training. Six of the participants were women.
Jatinder Paul Singh Gill, vice-chancellor, Gadvasu, said, "It is vital to adopt sustainable and resource efficient aquaculture production technologies to meet future production targets, addressing emerging challenges like climate change, depleting water resources and food safety.
Such indoor, bio-secure and low-volume aquaculture systems offer a way to produce safe food with minimal environmental impact.
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Meera D Ansal, dean, COF said a Capacity Building Resource Centre (CBRC) for intensive aquaculture technologies was set up in the university under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), to cater to increasing regional capacity building demand for intensive aquaculture technologies like recirculatory aquaculture system (RAS) and BFAS.
As compared to traditional pond aquaculture, the said climate smart, water saving and high yielding aquaculture technologies utilise only 10%-15% of the water/land resources per kg of fish production, she added.
Vaneet Inder Kaur coordinated the training programme tailored into technical sessions and practical demonstrations. It was executed by technical coordinators Amit Mandal and SN Datta. With rigorous hands-on training sessions, the trainees were apprised of all technical aspects and best management practices for BFAS by Mandal.
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Datta also introduced the trainees to RAS.
Ravinder Singh Grewal, director of extension education, addressed the trainees and acquainted them with various utility services offered by the university to the livestock, poultry and fish/shrimp farmers. The participation of young fish and shrimp farmers in the training indicates positive growth and prospective future of the fisheries sector, he added.
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