Staff Reporter
SHILLONG:
The motto might be ‘from dependence to self-sufficiency’, but the Meghalaya State Aquaculture Mission (MSAM) implemented by the Department of Fisheries has not achieved the desired target set by the department.
The Fisheries department launched the second edition of the much hyped Meghalaya State Aquaculture Mission – MSAM 2.0 – that is set to be implemented over the next five years from April 1, 2019. The mission was launched in 2011-12. It may be mentioned that the investment for MSAM 2.0 is Rs 378 crore.
The 6th State Aquafest was held on the premises of the State Central Library, where fish from districts of Khasi and Jaintia hills were displayed.
Assistant Director of Fisheries Department David Kharwanlang told The Meghalayan, “As of now, we have not yet achieved the kind of target we had set when we started, when the aquaculture mission was started in 2011-12. Our goal is to create one lakh ponds of 0.1 hectare or 1000 sq.m. Till today, we have been able to achieve 35,000 fish ponds under these different programmes. We still have a long way to go as far as the target is concerned.”
Presently, the department is implementing the State Aquaculture Mission 2.0 as well as the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana.
He added it would be difficult to address the shortage of fish in the state until and unless the target is met.
Kharwanlang said that the department is looking not only at enhancing fish production but in relation to marketing, fish preservation, and new technology such as Biofloc.
The Aquafest is usually held every year except during the pandemic with farmers showcasing their produce at the fest after getting the necessary assistance initiated under the Meghalaya State Aquaculture Mission in 2011-12.
Besides putting on display the fishes harvested from different fish ponds, Aquafest is held to create awareness for potential fish farmers to come forward and avail the different schemes the department provides.
Asked on the failure to achieve the target, Kharwanlang said that one of the factors is the climatic condition as most of the areas are hilly and not favourable for fish production.
Another drawback is that the selected farmers are not taking the instructions from the department cautiously and he claimed that the farmers do not feed the fish. He added that the department assists the farmers with fish feeds as well.
There were also concerns that fish seeds are being sold by Assam fish farmers in the state.
Kharwanlang said, “It is a cause of concern for the department and we tried our best to establish hatcheries in all eleven districts. As of now due to certain issues and climatic conditions, they are not performing well as per our expectation. They are not in a position to produce the seed as required by the districts. As of now, we still depend on Assam for fish seeds, it is a true fact, we are very much concerned, we are trying our level best even in our own departmental fish farms, to have our own hatcheries.”
The region of South West Garo Hills in the state produces the most number of fishes and it was informed that negligible amount of fishes come from outside the state.
As for the paddy-cum-fishing cultivation, he said that the Shangpung village in West Jaintia Hills has become a model village as far as paddy-cum-fish farming is concerned and said that it has been very helpful.
The model will be replicated in other districts such as Garo Hills and Ri Bhoi under PMMSY.
A fish farmer from Amlarem, Doh Pohtam who kept the kha Babur on the table which was still alive, said that fish cultivation is profitable if there are many fish ponds but he lamented the high cost of fish feeds.
“We have not received the fish feed from the department yet. The fish feed in the market cost Rs 1600 for 40 kg,” he said.
His friend, R Pohtam said that they could not catch too many fishes as it was raining heavily on Tuesday.
Crowds thronged the venue where district fishery departments and individual farmers displayed their products.