National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB), Hyderabad, Telangana sanctioned 19.47 lakh Project “Demonstration of growth performance, health status and meat quality of Biofloc Raised Fish in Northern India”, to College of Fisheries (COF), Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU). Dr. Vijay Kumar Reddy, COF and Principal
Investigator of the project, informed that it will be useful in socio-economic and quality evaluation of fish produced in an intensive aquaculture system called ‘Biofloc Aquaculture System (BFAS)”. Dr. Amit Mandal and Dr. Siddhnath will work as co-investigators.
Dr. Vaneet Inder Kaur, HoD informed that BFAS is a zero or minimal water exchange production system, where fish production is up to 10 times higher and water requirement is only 10-12% as compared to traditional pond culture system. In this system biofloc, consisting of an assemblage of microorganisms (mainly bacteria), serves as food for fish and purifies the water as well, she added.
Dr. Meera D. Ansal, Dean COF communicated that a capacity building resource center is being established at COF, GADVASU for promoting intensive aquaculture technologies like recirculatory aquaculture system (RAS), BFAS and aquaponics, under Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojna (PMMSY) of Department of Fisheries, GOI. The said NFDB project will support R&D required for developing an optimized biofloc based aquaculture model complementing regional climate, besides offering prospective entrepreneurial activity for aspiring stakeholders with small land holdings, especially in semi-urban and urban areas, she added.
Dr. J.P.S. Gill, Director of Research, GADVASU congratulated the team for earning this project, which will help in safeguarding quality and safety of fish reared in a biofloc based aquaculture system. Dr. Inderjeet Singh, Vice-Chancellor endorsed that indoor intensive aquaculture technologies like RAS and BFAS will help in addressing modern day challenges related to food security, climate change, resource depletion, pollution, biosecurity and food safety.
