AP formulating policy for cage culture of fish along coastline

VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh government is formulating a policy to promote cage culture of fish in the sea along its 974-km coastline. Visakhapatnam-based Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute is helping the government in finalising the policy.

A key aspect is geospatial mapping to identify places for setting up cages and study the chemical and biological parameters of water to know the suitability of the location for taking up fish culture.

There are plans to raise fish species like grouper, sea boss, Indian pomfret and silver pomfret. Each cage will be of four-metre width and six-meter depth. It will be placed in shallow waters of the sea coast at a depth of 15 metres. Each cage is expected to cost ₹5 lakh and a group of 10 cages comprise a fish culture unit. The cages will be floating in shallow waters with a net tied underneath. There will be a platform around a group of cages for regularly feeding the fish and maintaining them.

The challenges are that installation of cages is a costly affair. AP has a surf-beaten coast with high tidal waves, which can influence the stability of cages. Further, authorities have to ensure that these cages do not disturb navigation of nearly 17,000 fisherfolk, who go fishing into the sea on a regular basis. They must also not affect the 350 fish-landing centres located all along the coastline.

Keeping all these aspects in view, the state government is looking for entrepreneurs and technocrats who can come forward to take up caged culture of fish. It involves setting up hatcheries for distribution of fish seed and establishing feed supply centres and other infrastructure like transport, storage and marketing facilities, among others.

A senior official from fisheries department said, “A policy is being formulated to promote cage culture of fish along the AP coastline at all viable places by involving entrepreneurs. This will help the state generate income and also create good job opportunities.”

• State government will provide subsidies up to 40–60 percent of unit cost to BC, SC, ST and women as also OC entrepreneurs.
• Cage culture of fish in the sea on commercial scale is already being taken up off Ullipalem in Koduru mandal and also at Nagayalanka in Krishna district.
• Fish varieties like grouper and sea boss have demand in local market
• Entrepreneurs can explore international market for exporting several varieties of fish based on demand.