ICAR-CIFRI has celebrated ‘World Fisheries Day’ at its HQ at Barrackpore on 21.11.2017. In this occasion, a total of 20,000 (Twenty thousand nos) Indian major carp seed has been released in river Ganga at Daspara Ghat, Barrackpore under ICAR-CIFRI- NMCG project entitled
‘Assessment of fish and fisheries of the Ganga River System for Developing Suitable conservation and restoration plan’. The ranching program was followed by an in-house program in CIFRI auditorium.
Local fishers present in the program were sensitized about the various factors behind declining fish
biodiversity as well as total fish catch from river Ganga like indiscriminate destruction of brooders and
juvenile fishes through use of zero mesh destructive fishing gears and also asking for their active
cooperation towards success of river ranching program for restoration of fishery of Indian major carps in
Barrackpore stretch of River Ganga. Dr. Suman Kumari, Scientist briefly introduced about the auspicious
day highlighting the importance of its celebration. Dr. B. K. Das, Director, ICAR-CIFRI and PI, CIFRI-
NMCG project highlighted the importance of celebration of the day as it calls for sustainable fishery of
open waters, conservation of aquatic biodiversity, restoration of fish habitat, etc. Ranching can increase
fishers’ income from rivers that can yield ‘Green fish in Blue economy’ and thereby improved livelihood
of very poor fisher folks, he added. Dr. D. K. De, renowned expert in hilsa fisheries highlighted about
construction of huge number of barrages/ dams causing water abstraction and thereby hindering migration
of fishes. Besides he highlighted about issues like over exploitation of brood fishes and juveniles,
formation of sand bar in river mouth etc. and called for judicious exploitation of open waters like rivers.
Dr. Utpal Bhaumik, noted expert in estuarine fisheries also discussed in detailed about irrational
exploitation, overfishing, habitat destruction, etc and calls for sustainable fishery as livelihood of a huge
number of poor fishers is at stake. He praised CIFRI about the production of fish seed utilizing brooders
collected from river Ganga. Dr. M. L. Bhaumik, noted aquaculturist described history of river ranching in
Bengal through ‘Barsha Mangal’ by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, then ‘Palli Mangal’ ‘Meen Mangal,
etc. and applauded the present efforts of CIFRI to restore the IMC stock in river Ganga. In his comment
during ‘Vote of Thanks’, Dr. R. K. Manna, Principal Scientist and CO-PI, NMCG project discussed the
NMCG project objectives and mentioned about his belief that efforts of ICAR-CIFRI will certainly
restore the IMC stock of river Ganga, at least partially through the present CIFRI-NMCG project and
requested the fishers for their active cooperation.
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