VGP Marine Kingdom, a Chennai-based oceanarium, has entered into an agreement with the Indian Council for Agricultural Research’s National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources (NBFGR) to trade in ornamental marine shrimps raised in captivity.
The NBFGR has been training women in Lakshadweep’s Agatti island to cultivate marine ornamental invertebrates to not only socially empower the islanders but also conserve the country’s biodiversity and prevent its over-exploitation. The bureau, working with fish genetic resources for intellectual property protection and sustainable utilisation, has established a germ plasm resource centre for marine ornamental invertebrates on the island. Two species of Thor hainanensis (Sexy shrimp) and Acylocaris brevicarpalis (peacock tail shrimp)were selected for propagation.
When they reach marketable size, VGP Marine Kingdom will procure and display them in its souvenir shop attached to the oceanarium in Chennai.
