CMFRI’s novel venture yields bumper harvest of green mussels

An experimental farming on a business scale has proved that the impressive farming technological know-how — Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) exercise — is profitable and effectively ideal to Kerala’s ecosystem.

A bumper harvest of inexperienced mussel was recorded in the built-in farming merged with cage fish and seaweed farming carried out by the Central Maritime Fisheries Research Institute under participatory mode with fish farmers in Moothakunnam in Ernakulam district.

The IMTA brings together proper proportions of fish, seaweeds and filter feeding bivalves in farming to develop balanced units for environmental and financial stability. CMFRI commenced the enterprise in December previous 12 months as element of its investigation initiative for acquiring a sustainable cage fish farming product ideal for Kerala’s ecosystem.

Much better yield

The 1st harvest amongst the three crops of the built-in farming, yielded about a single tonne of inexperienced mussel from 150 strings hung about as quite a few as four fish cages. Particular person mussels grew to the sizing of 72 g which is a profitable development charge in mussel farming. Even as the harvest was getting location all through the Covid lockdown, the complete create offered out in no time as there was a large demand for inexperienced mussels.

A great harvest with improved development charge of inexperienced mussel confirmed that IMTA exercise is economically feasible and effectively ideal to Kerala’s problem. A scientific group led by Shoji Joseph, Principal Scientist of CMFRI, also noticed that the fishes inside the cage attained improved development and seaweed becoming cultured about the cage confirmed nutritious standing with rapid development charge. Fish will be harvested by the stop of the next month.

CMFRI Director A Gopalakrishnan claimed the institute would just take ways to popularise the IMTA exercise throughout the coastal States as in the case of cage fish farming. CMFRI has correctly produced a product of IMTA exercise on open up sea waters of Tamil Nadu which assists coastal people fetch improved revenue.