CIFRI’s 64th Foundation Day
A deserving occasion to vow to raise Hilsa to the Status of a Farm Fish

The 64th Foundation Day of CIFRI was celebrated on 17 March 2010 at its Headquarters in Barrackpore, Kolkata.

Being an event of historic significance it will be in fitness of things to reminisce over the decades-old dedicated attachment of CIFRI to the cause of Hilsa fisheries development, among others. The scientists of the Institute bred hilsa and raised its seed. As a follow-up of this remarkable achievement , CIFRI has to now take a vow to devote a part of its main attention towards raising the status of Hilsa as a prime farming category of fish at par with others like major carps; This could be done in association with CIFA, which is its own offspring. The tested technology of raising hilsa hatchlings in a hatchery is with CIFRI, although it may have to be probably further refined. The technology of raising hilsa seed to the needed size for stocking in tanks and ponds may have to be also firmly developed. There is field evidence that hilsa seed survives and grows well in freshwater tanks and ponds. The editorial in January 1985 issue of Fishing Chimes says that Hilsa culture had been carried out successfully in West Bengal. Some measure of success in breeding of hilsa in tanks was stated to have been achieved during that year in this State by CIFRI. Further inputs in this direction would lead to the development of an integrated technology that would enable the induction of hilsa into the category of a farm fish that can be raised to the size of a brooder, bred and seed raised and grown in ponds and tanks to marketable size. This can certainly be achieved. When this happens, it would be a boon not only to the fish farming class but also to the consumers who prefer to have hilsa dishes often as part of their diet. Hilsa farming can certainly be achieved through the implementation of a planned strategy in that direction.

The Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute of India stands apart as a unique fisheries research body with a rich historic background that has global hues. In the course of its glorious growth, it has given birth to several distinctive achievements, besides those related to hilsa. Over a period of time, these achievements gained in strength and led to a spread effect with encouraging results thereof. One outstanding and unparalleled achievement of CIFRI, as we all know, is the introduction of technology of breeding of fish through injection of pituitary hormone extract into their body. This has revoluntionised and replaced the system of dependence on collection of fish spawn /fry from rivers during flood season for rearing them to a stockable size before releasing them into tanks and ponds. The induced breeding technology has, as is known, ensured the convenient, easy and assured availability of fish seed to the farmers for stocking in their ponds and tanks. The technologies of composite fish farming, polyfarming and integrated farming have been evolved and introduced by the institute and these have generated additional benefits to fish farmers. One of CIFRI’s offsprings, the Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture continues the work on upgrading the systems. It has improvised a portable hatchery unit and also a mechanised pond fish harvesting system, among others. It has demonstrated effectively in various States of the country the technology of achieving higher fish/prawn production per ha because of which several farmers in various States are now producing fish/prawns at far higher levels per ha compared to the earlier decades. The Institute also demonstrated multi-cropping systems that have facilitated reduction in the expenditure on feeds. Another feather in the cap of CIFA, as the offspring of CIFRI, is that it gifted to the Indian fish farmers Jayanti Rohu,a selectively bred quality Rohu that grows longer and weightier by 17% comparative to the original rohu.It also opened up new avenues of breeding and seed production of catfishes. It also gave to the farmers an effective specific called “CIFAX” for controlling / treatment of epizootic ulcerative syndrome among fishes, besides an ELISA-based immunodiagnostic kit to diagnose fish bacterial diseases, and also CIFACURE to treat microbial infection in ornamental fish. The Directorate of Coldwater Fisheries can also be considered as an offspring of CIFRI.

It will be interesting to note that Bangladesh is on the job of pond farming of Hilsa, the country’s most delectable foreign exchange earner. Hilsa’s in ponds, as its very existence in river conditions is threatened by pollution, climate change and even over- consumption.

Researchers at Chandpur Fisheries research Institute have taken to farming the hilsa in ponds, seeking to belie a common perception that hilsa fish can survive only in rivers. People in Bangladesh as well as West Bengal in India swear by the taste of the full – of – bones yet melt – in – the mouth hilsa, with its preparation considered a must during festivities. Hilsa eggs, fried and spiced up, are also eaten with relish In both countries, though some say this has led to over- consumption of the fish. Work has been on since 1988 to breed the hilsa in ponds, but there is no breakthrough until now. Chief scientific officer of the institute Anisur Rahman hopes to succeed this time, it is reported.

A 1.5-inch long newly born hilsa fish, also called fry, was released into a pond under the supervision of the institute. Three ponds inside the institute have been readied for hilsa farming. A full –scale experimental rearing of hilsa in the ponds began in May 2010. The researchers said fishermen net 10,000 to 19,000 tonnes of fry a year.

CIFRI now concentrates on weight development of riverine and estuarine fisheries, on reservoir fisheries and on wetland fisheries such as those of beels, mauns etc. So far as riverine fisheries are concerned, there is some relief now .The inevitable pressure that was there eaarlier on spawn and fry collection from rivers has almost disappeared because of the introduction of induced breeding technology, CIFRI’s attention now has a shift towards evolving measures for a sustained development of capture fisheries of rivers and capture-culture fisheries of reservoirs. It has also formulated steps to counteract proliferation of exotic fishes in rivers, one example of which is that of Clarias gariepinus. Pangasiodon hypophthalmus, an exotic riverine catfish has also made its entry, mostly into the rivers of the eastern States of the country. Farmers have brought the seed of these fishes into the country from Bangladesh and they are now being farmed in West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, and several other States, mostly on the north-east. In fact, it is stated that the Government of India has now accorded clearance for the farming of Pangus ( Pangasiodon hypopthalmus) in the country.

The dedicated work done by CIFRI in promoting fish production from wetlands is widely known. However, there is a lot more to be done by way of further demonstrating in an enduring manner the setting up of the cages in wetlands and taking steps for developing the needed supportive infrastructure facilities for promoting cage farming in an integrated manner, under an organisational set up to be suggested to the State Governments concerned. Cage fish farming in some wetlands and rivers has already been introduced in a few States like Assam, West Bengal,Karnataka and others but, considering its potential for augmenting fish production and upgrading the incomes of the farmers, CIFRI has to prevail upon the various State Governments to promote the activity under well formulated projects. The State Governments can introduce a system of issuing permits to the farmers for setting up the cages in demarcated plots, supported by a financing system, on a subsidy basis.

Developmental fisheries research work on reservoirs and lakes, as is known, comes under the purview of CIFRI. With the exception of a few stray cases, the status of level of fish production from these resources continues to be low and disorderly. NFDB has taken up a project for lending support to the State Fisheries Departments for stocking of several reservoirs in those States with advanced fingerlings. While this is a good step forward, what needs to be considered is the grouping of the reservoirs into viable clusters. Each of such clusters would need to be provided with the required organisational and infrastructural support, which has to be one of centralised yearling production, (cluster-wise), and supplying them for stocking the reservoirs within the cluster concerned, keeping the capture-culture balance in view and linked to the system of regulated harvesting of the fish, their storage and marketing, to be organised by the State Fisheries Departments concerned, in association with CIFRI.