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ICAR-CIFRI Trains Fish Farmers of Siwan (Bihar) on Sustainable Inland Fisheries Management

27^th November, 2025
Barrackpore, West Bengal.

A seven-day training programme on “Inland Fisheries Management” was successfully conducted for 30 fish farmers from Siwan, Bihar, from January 20 to November 26, 2025, under the sponsorship of the State Fisheries Department. The programme was organised under the overall guidance of Dr. B. K. Das, Director, ICAR–Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute (ICAR-CIFRI), with the objective of strengthening the knowledge and skills of rural fish farmers and equipping them with best practices for sustainable and profitable fisheries management. The training was inaugurated by Dr. S. Samanta, Director-In-Charge, ICAR-CIFRI, in the presence of Dr. Archana Sinha, Head, and Dr. S. K. Manna. In his address, Dr. Samanta emphasised the importance of capacity building in inland fisheries and encouraged the participants to adopt scientific practices to enhance fish production, ensure environmental sustainability, and improve their livelihoods, in line with the national vision of doubling farmers’ income.

Dr. B. K. Das, Director, ICAR-CIFRI, also interacted with the fishers during the programme and encouraged them to adopt advanced, eco-friendly aquaculture technologies. He stated, “Inland fisheries have immense potential to transform rural livelihoods. By adopting scientific management practices and modern technologies, farmers can significantly increase productivity while ensuring the sustainability of our aquatic resources.”
The programme covered a wide range of technical subjects including the ecology and fisheries of inland open waters, sediment and water chemistry, pond management, natural fish food organisms, aquaculture species suitable for Bihar, enclosure culture, ornamental fisheries, fish feed management, fish health and disease control, and the economic evaluation of aquaculture operations. Special sessions were also devoted to the use of drone technology in aquaculture monitoring and management.

Emphasis was laid on wetland management and production enhancement, focusing on sustainable wetland utilisation, community-based governance, scientific stocking, and habitat improvement for increased fish yield. Farmers were also trained in the breeding of important cultivable fishes, including broodstock management and hatchery techniques for quality seed production.
Hands-on practical sessions were conducted at the Institute’s ornamental hatchery units and feed mill, where trainees learned water quality analysis, preparation of fish feed from locally available ingredients, and identification of fish pathogens along with remedial measures.

To provide real-world exposure, participants visited the East Kolkata Wetlands, the ornamental fish market, the Ornamental Fish Village, Kalna Fish Farm, ICAR-CIFE Kolkata Regional Centre, and ICAR-CIFA, Rahara, gaining valuable insights into diverse aquaculture and fisheries production systems.
During the feedback session, participants expressed high satisfaction with the training and reported significant improvement in their understanding of inland fisheries management. They conveyed confidence in applying the newly acquired knowledge on their farms and sharing it with fellow farmers.
The programme was conducted under the supervision of Dr. Aparna Roy, Senior Scientist, and coordinated by Dr. Kavita Kumari, Senior Scientist, and Dr. Piyashi Debroy, Scientist, with technical support from Mr. Sujit Choudhury (CTO), Mr. Manabendra Roy (TO), Dr. Avishek Saha (STA) and Mr. Pankaj Kumar.