646
The giant freshwater prawn Macrobrachium
rosenbergii (scampi) is a suitable species to be
cultured in many places, notably Bihar, especially with carps. Entrepreneurs may be encouraged and supported to develop scampi seed
hatcheries to meet the local demand of seeds.
Similarly, catfi shes possess considerable commercial importance due to their high consumer
preferences. Clarias batrachus , Heteropneustes
fossilis and Anabas testudineus are the three
popular air-breathing catfi shes which are well
adapted to the wetland ecosystem.
Adequate technical and fi nancial support may
be made available to farmers and entrepreneurs
for establishing catfi sh hatcheries for commercial
production of seed. Extension network may be
strengthened to popularise catfi sh culture and
ensure easy availability of catfi sh seeds and popularise commercial production with annual production of 0.5–2 tons of catfi sh/ha.
Important ornamental fi shes like Parambassis
ranga, Chanda nama, Trichogaster fasciata,
Trichogaster lalius, Gudusia chapra and others
like sand loach and tiger barbs Puntius spp. are
found in the wetlands of many countries in Asia.
Specialised training programmes for fi shers,
especially the womenfolk, may be arranged for
identifi cation and culture of ornamental fi shes.
Integrated fi sh farming may be encouraged
wherein poultry, duckery, piggery, cattle rearing, fl oriculture, horticulture and food grain
production may be integrated at the farm level
to maximise the return per unit land and water
resources. Proper interventions may be done to
motivate farmers, and they may be brought
under the different farmer-friendly schemes.
The concept of small-scale aquaculture is an
important element of family-farming system. A
number of fl ood plains and oxbow lakes have
been depleting fast. This has been reducing the
potential habitat for fi shes, many of which are
small trash fi shes. Such trash and weed fi shes
have, nevertheless, been fetching high market
demand and price (often more than the carps)
mainly because of burgeoning gap between
demand and supply. Efforts, thus, may be made
to promote such native species by incorporating
them in the fi sh production programme. Such an
effort may also help in protecting the declining
fi sh biodiversity.
30.9 Human Resource
Development (HRD)
The HRD in fi sheries sector may take into
account the HRD of fi shers’ communities, farmers, Directorate of Fisheries staff, NGOs and
other stakeholders involved in fi sheries development. The technical know-hows and the managerial capabilities of these human resources are to
be enhanced and strengthened. The present
scenario is characterised by low level of literacy,
poor resource base, lack of awareness and technical know-how among fi shers and farmers on the
one hand and lack of adequate number of needbased and skill-oriented training programmes at
block and district levels on the other. The policy
may propose to provide fi eld-oriented training to
at least one lakh fi shers and farmers in aquaculture, fi sheries co-management, value addition
and marketing, etc., to bring about major transformation in fi sheries development. Illustrated,
detailed, step by step and easy-to-follow fi eld
guides on relevant aquaculture practices may be
made available widely to fi shers and farmers.
The training and delivery mechanism at the
state level is generally ill-equipped, both conceptually and logistically. These seemed to be quite
inadequate to meet these challenges of the present and, thus, require major reforms. Inadequate
and poorly skilled staff at different levels, lack of
motivation and desire among the staff for fi eldoriented work, lack of suffi cient career development opportunities and refresher training
programmes, absence of effective monitoring
mechanism and accountability, etc., are some
of the general HR issues constraining the
development process. Further, competing and/or
confl icting role of DFOs/FEOs as settlement offi -
cers and extension workers, absence of extension
staff at the block level, non-integration of the
engineering cell/staff within the department, very
poor infrastructure in some cases, etc., are some
of the systemic issues of constraints, which may
be streamlined.
30 Developmental Activities in Wetlands
The giant freshwater prawn Macrobrachium
rosenbergii (scampi) is a suitable species to be
cultured in many places, notably Bihar, especially with carps. Entrepreneurs may be encouraged and supported to develop scampi seed
hatcheries to meet the local demand of seeds.
Similarly, catfi shes possess considerable commercial importance due to their high consumer
preferences. Clarias batrachus , Heteropneustes
fossilis and Anabas testudineus are the three
popular air-breathing catfi shes which are well
adapted to the wetland ecosystem.
Adequate technical and fi nancial support may
be made available to farmers and entrepreneurs
for establishing catfi sh hatcheries for commercial
production of seed. Extension network may be
strengthened to popularise catfi sh culture and
ensure easy availability of catfi sh seeds and popularise commercial production with annual production of 0.5–2 tons of catfi sh/ha.
Important ornamental fi shes like Parambassis
ranga, Chanda nama, Trichogaster fasciata,
Trichogaster lalius, Gudusia chapra and others
like sand loach and tiger barbs Puntius spp. are
found in the wetlands of many countries in Asia.
Specialised training programmes for fi shers,
especially the womenfolk, may be arranged for
identifi cation and culture of ornamental fi shes.
Integrated fi sh farming may be encouraged
wherein poultry, duckery, piggery, cattle rearing, fl oriculture, horticulture and food grain
production may be integrated at the farm level
to maximise the return per unit land and water
resources. Proper interventions may be done to
motivate farmers, and they may be brought
under the different farmer-friendly schemes.
The concept of small-scale aquaculture is an
important element of family-farming system. A
number of fl ood plains and oxbow lakes have
been depleting fast. This has been reducing the
potential habitat for fi shes, many of which are
small trash fi shes. Such trash and weed fi shes
have, nevertheless, been fetching high market
demand and price (often more than the carps)
mainly because of burgeoning gap between
demand and supply. Efforts, thus, may be made
to promote such native species by incorporating
them in the fi sh production programme. Such an
effort may also help in protecting the declining
fi sh biodiversity.
30.9 Human Resource
Development (HRD)
The HRD in fi sheries sector may take into
account the HRD of fi shers’ communities, farmers, Directorate of Fisheries staff, NGOs and
other stakeholders involved in fi sheries development. The technical know-hows and the managerial capabilities of these human resources are to
be enhanced and strengthened. The present
scenario is characterised by low level of literacy,
poor resource base, lack of awareness and technical know-how among fi shers and farmers on the
one hand and lack of adequate number of needbased and skill-oriented training programmes at
block and district levels on the other. The policy
may propose to provide fi eld-oriented training to
at least one lakh fi shers and farmers in aquaculture, fi sheries co-management, value addition
and marketing, etc., to bring about major transformation in fi sheries development. Illustrated,
detailed, step by step and easy-to-follow fi eld
guides on relevant aquaculture practices may be
made available widely to fi shers and farmers.
The training and delivery mechanism at the
state level is generally ill-equipped, both conceptually and logistically. These seemed to be quite
inadequate to meet these challenges of the present and, thus, require major reforms. Inadequate
and poorly skilled staff at different levels, lack of
motivation and desire among the staff for fi eldoriented work, lack of suffi cient career development opportunities and refresher training
programmes, absence of effective monitoring
mechanism and accountability, etc., are some
of the general HR issues constraining the
development process. Further, competing and/or
confl icting role of DFOs/FEOs as settlement offi -
cers and extension workers, absence of extension
staff at the block level, non-integration of the
engineering cell/staff within the department, very
poor infrastructure in some cases, etc., are some
of the systemic issues of constraints, which may
be streamlined.
30 Developmental Activities in Wetlands