West Bengal Introduces Cage Fish Farming

Kolkata: Buoyed by the success of the pisciculture practices in countries such as Norway, Japan Thailand and the Philippines, West Bengal government has undertaken a new method of deep-sea pisciculture known as cage culture.

The practice is so named as it involves rearing fish inside big floating cages in the middle of the sea.

Under the project, which is in the pilot stage, two 4.5 metre-diameter containers have been put in place 2 km off the coast of Mandarmani at the Bay of Bengal.

In order to prevent seabirds from feeding on the fish, the cages have been covered with nets. Buoys have been attached to them to provide stability. Each cage has a lifespan up to 10 years.

After their release in the cages, which is expected in September, the hatchlings will grow to the sizes ranging from 1 to 1.5 kg within six months. Fishes which will be mostly grown in the cages will include bhekti and pomfret because these fishes are in high demand and come with high prices. Carrying our cage culture in large numbers has the potential of reducing the prices of these fishes and making them more affordable.