A symposium on ‘Sustainable fisheries and aquaculture in northeast India’ which took the centre stage in the 13th IFAF chaired by the eminent persons Dr. V. V. Sugunan and Prof. R.K. Saha. The session was honored by the lead speakers, Prof. A. B. Patel, Dr. S. K. Majhi, Dr. B. K. Bhattacharjya, and Dr. C. Basudha Devi covered different aspects relating to the well-being of the region’s aquatic life.
Dr. Patel emphasized the importance of diversification of species, systems, and feed resources within aquaculture and also aligning with local availability and significance which proposes a sound ecological and social sustainability. Dr. Majhi presented and demonstrated the newest technologies for species conservation and recovery from the vulnerable local ecosystem. The focus of Dr. Bhattacharjya for fisheries management in the region’s floodplain wetlands is on ecosystem-based managed fisheries that are critical for long-term sustainable fish production.
The area is full of many decorative fish types which present business opportunities. The session comprised six oral presentations, each delving into the newly evolving topics such as diversity of fish in floodplain wetlands, the effect of grazing para grass herb on meat quality of grass carps and the implementation of weighted water quality index for evaluating fishery suitability. Furthermore, other new methods like the idea of safe dams in the polyculture of Loktak lake and the research on the color of Bariline fishes were introduced. As glowing testimonies, Dr. Sugunan echoed the plentiful open water resources of the Northeast and its immense untapped potential, expressing satisfaction on the gains made so far in the region.
The symposium took place for the purpose of highlighting the pivotal role of the environmental sustainability and technological innovations in raising the level of the fisheries and aquaculture sector of the region. The combined use of age-old knowledge and the contemporary applications of knowledge places Northeast India in good stead to open new dimensions of aquatic resource management and economic development.
Source-PIB
