The first consignment of Indian pompano fish cultured in a cage by Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) in collaboration with a private entrepreneur was sent to Kerala for consumption from here on Tuesday.
Anantam Group’s Anil Karnam, who collaborated with CMFRI, said that in the first lot, they had collected 500 kg for export to Kerala by train. Mr. Karnam told The Hindu that they would earn a profit of ₹50 to ₹100 per kg, and hoped to undertake commercial exploration of cage culture.
Scope for growth
In all, four cages have been placed off the coast to take up culturing of Indian pompano.
“The project is a pilot scheme and it has yielded an encouraging response,” Dr. Shubhadeep Ghosh, Principal Scientist, Visakhapatnam Regional Centre of CMFRI, said after the token harvest of Indian pompano at the sleep-way jetty of the fishing harbour.
The average weight of Indian pompano harvested on Tuesday is 700 grams. If cultured in a hatchery, it can weigh more. In the retail market, it is sold at ₹300 to ₹350 per kg.
VMRDA chairman Dronamraju Srinivas, who visited the sleep-way jetty to have a look at the token harvest of Indian pompano, said that the advances made in technology should be extended to traditional fishermen to enable them to have a better catch.
He also underlined the importance of sustainable fishing.
