Odisha Fisheries and Animal Resources Minister Arun Kumar Sahoo announced that the state government has launched a new scheme for promoting intensive aquaculture by adopting the Biofloc Fish Farming technology. This decision to promote the novel technology would help employ many in the times of a pandemic, he noted.
Biofloc Fish Farming is a new technology that enables intensive fish/shrimp production in a limited area, without upping the consumption of basic natural resources such as land or water. Several varieties of fish, such as GIFT Tilapia, Magur, Pangasius, Anabas, Common Carp, can be reaped through this method.
In Biofloc technology, the waste organic matter in the tank, such as feed waste, is digested using probiotics (helpful bacteria) and a carbon source such as molasses and gets converted to fish feed. This also reduces the expenditure on overheads for the cultivator. Generally, each biofloc tank is filled with an estimated 1,000-1,500 numbers of quality fish (2-3 cm), and a production target of 500 kg of fish is set for a six-month span.
Sahoo added that the scheme will provide livelihood support to entrepreneurs, unemployed youth and progressive fish farmers, apart from boosting the production figures for the state. He also said that the biofloc unit could be set up on terraces and backyards, and could fetch higher prices for the producer as the catch would be fresh.