Suresh Prabhu to Open MPEDA’s Pioneering Aquaculture Facility in Kochi

KOCHI:
MPEDA, an autonomous body under the Union Ministry of Commerce & Industry and functions as the country’s nodal agency for holistic development of seafood industry, proudly presents country’s first of its kind state-of-the-art Multispecies Aquaculture Complex facility to be inaugurated on 8th December 2018. The Complex is poised to pioneer a revolutionary leap in fish farming with the production of marine food from disease-free breeds.

Union Minister Suresh Prabhu will inaugurate the Complex at MPEDA’s facility at Vallarpadom Island. Completed in an area of 9 acres, the Rs 7.26-crore project is expected to cater to the demand from the aquaculture farmers in Kerala as well as the adjoining states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra.

The complex features a hatchery for black tiger shrimp (with an annual production capacity of 20 million shrimp seeds) and nurseries for four varieties of fin fishes, namely, Seabass, GIFT (genetically-improved farmed tilapia), Silver Pompano, Cobia (capacity to produce 16.5 lakh fingerlings per year) besides a nursery for 0.5 lakh crablets of Mudcrab.

The multispecies complex with a hatchery and nurseries for marine, brackish water and freshwater fish species in Vallapardom is a first of its kind in India. The fishes reared in the complex have both domestic and export market.

The hatchery for Black Tiger shrimp will have a quarantine facility and an effluent treatment system as a typically biosecure hatchery facility would need. The nurseries meant for diversified fish/shellfish species and ponds lined with high density polythene and also provided with necessary biosecurity protocols.

The facility’s proximity to the international airport is an added advantage, ensuring faster transportation of seeds. The Vallarpadom facility can become a model for the establishment of similar facilities in other parts of the west coast especially along the Konkan region and parts of Maharashtra.

At the December 8 function, Kerala Fisheries Minister J Mercykutty Amma will deliver the presidential address. The guests of honour will be Prof K V Thomas and V Muraleedharan MPs and S Sarma, MLA. MPEDA Chairman K S Srinivas and Secretary B Sreekumar will also speak.