By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, March 14: The ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute (ICAR-CIFRI) has provided technological and input support to riparian communities of the Umiam Reservoir to enhance sustainable fisheries and local livelihoods.
As part of this initiative, the ICAR-CIFRI Regional Centre, Guwahati, in collaboration with the Ri-Bhoi Farmers’ Union (RFU) and the Fisheries department, organised a Field Day-cum-Input Distribution Programme at Umsning on Friday.
During the event, 5,000 kg of “CIFRI CAGEGROW,” a specialised floating fish feed, was distributed to 50 tribal fisher families.
During the programme, RFU president D. Majaw highlighted the successful collaboration with ICAR-CIFRI since 2019, particularly the cage culture trials in the Umiam Reservoir.
He noted that the transition from traditional methods to scientific cage culture, supported by high-quality feed, has resulted in significantly higher fish production for local farmers.
On the other hand, Dr. Pronob Das, Senior Scientist at ICAR-CIFRI, stated that the cage culture technology developed for Meghalaya’s mid-altitude reservoirs is now being adopted across the Northeast. He credited the success of these trials to the active participation of local families.
Representing the local community, Banri L. Nongbri highlighted the active involvement of fisherwomen in the cage culture projects. She requested continued support from the institute, specifically seeking inputs such as fish seed, boats and life jackets for reservoir fishers.
Arbester Kharthangmaw, president of Kishan Morcha, Umsning, also urged the institute to organise training and exposure visits for farmers to Guwahati and Kolkata.
The programme, attended by around 70 participants, concluded with an interactive session where scientists addressed technical queries regarding scientific fish farming and health management.
