Raj Fisheries Newsletter

From Editor’s Desk

Supply of quality fish seed is still a critical issue for meeting the increasing demand of desirable species for aquaculture and capture fisheries in reservoirs Reservoirs of plains have great potential for enhancing fish production for many reasons With the scientific fisheries management alone it is possible to increase production in culture as well as capture fisheries waters The primary requirement to achieve this goal is availability of quality fish seed in required quantityThe seed requirement of Rajasthan state is approximately over 1000 million fingerlings and this requirement to some extent is met from local resources However, major part (+70%) of seed supply mainly comes from other states such as West Bengal and U P, Haryana and Gujarat On record there are 27 fish hatcheries established in the state of Rajasthan however, most of these are either non-functional or unable to produce the required number of seeds Only a few fish hatcheries are actively producing seed at their full capacity which is not adequate to meet the needs of the state

In earlier years till 1990s bundh breeding has been one of the reliable,dependable and convenient source of seed production in the state of Rajasthan.Therefore, till recent decades (1990s) the state Fisheries Department has been arranging temporary camps near the dry bundhs for the production of seed by stocking brood fish of desired species. Soon after the first spell of monsoon rains brood fishes were introduced into bundhs With subsequent rains and inflow of water into the dry bundhs the stocked brood fishes were stimulated to spawn within the bundh The spawn so obtained was allowed to grow within the bundhs for another 2-3 months and when the water level recedes the fingerlings were collected from these bundhs Research conducted on these bundhs by the erstwhile Department of Limnology and Fisheries indicated that the final outcome as fish fingerlings was only 5% of the spawn produced Therefore, in such a system huge numbers of eggs and baby fish disappear within the dry bundh. A scientific approach to utilise this massive egg mass was never tried wherein these eggs could be collected from the dry bundh and put in suitable hatchery for incubation. Presently at many places these dry bundhs(seasonal waters) are used for growing table sized fish

Introduction of fish seed from the other states in Rajasthan has vividly resulted into entry of certain undesirable fishes causing damage to fish biodiversity and therefore all efforts should be made so that the seed supply can be made within the state of Rajasthan For this purpose fish hatcheries in private sectors should be established by the active initiative of state Fisheries Department Technique of induced fish breeding is now standardised with full success. It would be therefore, appropriate that a few selected dry bundhs should be once again rived in each district and used for fish breeding To further ensure success in breeding the technique of sympathetic breeding can be adopted wherein about 10 % of blood stock is given hormone injection The spawn collected from such dry bundh should be either incubated on the spot by installing portable fish hatcheries or transported to nearby fish hatcheries to ensure better survival and growth of spawn.Establishment and fish hatcheries in private sectors is yet another dependable method for quality seed production Obviously this will generate self-employment in the private sector as there is ready market available for fish seed within the state

-Dr. L.L.Sharma,Founder Editor, Dean(Retd.), College of Fisheries, MPUAT, Udaipur 313001 Education in Fisheries Science and Technology its Evolution and Spread in the World, India and Rajasthan (4)

-VS Durve, Retired Professor of Limnology and Fisheries,Rajasthan College of Agriculture, Udaipur.

In spite of having reasonably good amounts of ater in the forms of atural ponds, reservoirs small to large size esides, large canal ystems and a couple of erennial rivers and a ost of seasonal ones; ajasthan could not oost a good fish quality of the state is in India with some ugh brackish and saline water which could be profitably used for rearing fish species, prawns and Artemia which tolerate such water conditions This feature is unique to the states of Rajasthan and Haryana in northern India. In spite of this, fisheries could not develop well in the state of Rajasthan primarily because of the absence of traditional fishing communities and those pursuing fishing or aquaculture as a livelihood profession Food habits of the people of Rajasthan are almost vegan Naturally, there was no education in fisheries and aquaculture in Rajasthan at any stage of the educational ladder.

Only recently, the vocational course in Agriculture has been initiated at the higher secondary level in schools. In these courses, fishery or aquaculture is barely touched Thus, even at School level, no teaching in Fisheries and aquaculture is resorted to.

In Rajasthan, a fisheries cell was created by the Government in the Department of Animal Husbandry in the early sixties of twentieth century In due course of time, substations or offices were opened at selected district places and the process is still going on based on the need The city of Udaipur situated in south Rajasthan was a major office with a Survey and Investigation unit and Fisheries Training School. This Training School was for imparting training to the subordinate and menial technical staff of the department The teaching was done by the senior technical officers who were graduate with training in fisheries or post graduate degree holders in the subject of zoology with or without fish or fisheries as their specialization This specialization was only with theoretical background, without any practicals in applied fisheries With this, there was no possibility of junior staff imbibing the skilled part of fisheries science Later, the government began deputing the PG degree holding staff for the Diploma in Fisheries that time given by the Central Institute of Fisheries Education (C.I.F.E.), Mumbai mentioned earlier This did bring in marginal changes in the technical knowledge of the teachers and taught However, the absence of practising facilities like fish farms, hatcheries etc., affected the fish and technical productivity of the state and the department Further, there was no or little check on poaching or illegal fishing which gravely affected the morale and efficiency of the departmental staff There were no refresher courses for the senior scientific staff resulting in the intellectual stagnancy and no work tendency in them

For the development of fisheries in terms of higher production, the art of Aquaculture and capture-cum-culture and purely capture fisheries etc , should reach masses through the enterprising village youths who would take up aquaculture as a venue for creating wealth This did not happen as the department could not train scientific staff or even create enterprising fish farmers or even fishermen from the local inhabitants Capture fishery was entirely in the hands of contractors who would bring trained fishermen from other states Contractors were of the firm opinion that the local youth were totally incompetent to operate boats, nets and post-harvest activities for effective marketing To counter this, the department opened classes for local youth to teach net-weaving, fish preservation etc , near the villages and lakes or fishing waters This did help to improve fisheries in Rajasthan. Later, the state fisheries organised fishing co-operative for capture fisheries after giving training to the local inhabitants However, the innate disinterest in the fishing and aquaculture in Rajasthan affected adversely the fisheries development With a zoology background and no training in scientific fisheries to the scientific staff of the department, the progress was slow to almost nil at several locations in the state Low and unpredicted rainfall and temperature pattern further contributed to aquaculture backwardness in the state

This emphasises the need for good education in this science at senior to illiterate level in the state. Efforts to bring in change in the mindset of the local population by showing them the prosperity in personal lives brought in by the villagers of other states, benefits of the consumption of fish, usefulness of the fish especially the coloured ones, as objects of entertainment and teaching them several allied topics. They should be taught that unfavourable terrain and climate, saline groundwater could also be put to profitable enterprises like rearing hardy and temperature tolerant fishes, prawns etc. Fish and fish products marketing strategy also needs to be taught in the local language or the mother tongue of the trainees.

In this situation, a central scheme named “Fish Farmers’ Development Agency” to be run by the State Fisheries Department was initiated. In this scheme, interested fish farmers having an owned or leased water body were to be trained by the fisheries departmental staff in fish farming techniques and helped in all respects to become the regular professional fish farmers Though this is existing at present, the progress in this field is not satisfactory The zoology trained staff of the State Department has little vision and foresight to adopt modern aquaculture A Fisheries College was established under the Agricultural University in Udaipur without Government funding, expecting that this step would update the teaching quality Formal recognition of the college and funding from the State Government and Central agencies like I.C.A.R. began from 2010. Even now, the college has its own problems and teaching or fisheries education is not up to the mark mainly due to paucity of adequate teaching faculty.. A second Fisheries College is proposed to be opened by the Veterinary University at Bikaner

On taking the overview of the education in fisheries in the state of Rajasthan, it is felt that this needs to be planned in two or more levels Since the adoption and implementation part of this profession will invariably remain in the hands of illiterate, semi illiterate people at low economic stratum, intense self-work training in the field will have to be imparted to the hands which remain on the farm and do all farm related duties including pre-breeding care, breeding, nursery to growth up to marketable size For trade and marketing, separate training is required. Similarly, for ornamental fish breeding and trade, selected trainees, both boys and girls will have to be trained in varied arts of this discipline. We should thus establish vocational schools at middle and secondary levels Alternatively, fishery Polytechniques should be opened at suitable places. Here, the training should be professional and primarily field oriented so as to create enterprising youths to take up fisheries with any discipline as “start ups.”

Youths including girls trained in such institutes, will possibly pursue aquaculture as a profession like agriculture and gradually the aquaculture will get merged in the agriculture or become a supplementary and supporting profession to the agriculture In the course of time, There could be an automatic creation of a distinct class called Aquaculturists just like Agriculturists in our rural community This will create employment and self employment opportunities This is the aim of fisheries education. Aquaculture should not remain a concern of the Government except for funding and guidance It should become a profession for the rural population Similar should be the case with capture fisheries, it should be in the hands of co-operative societies and not the contractors For this we need effective and stratified educational policy for Rajasthan fisheries.

Fisheries administrators and scientists need training at the college and University level. Here, several subjects and their scientific basis should be taught to the students besides basics of administration, accounting and human relationships to make good teachers, administrators and researchers in fisheries science These senior employees and entrepreneurs should also occasionally receive refresher training at the same and higher institutes situated at different places The middle and lower level workers likewise should also be exposed to the new scientific discoveries. These facilities could be made available to the private aquaculturists on small fees

Aquaculture and capture fisheries both of inland and marine waters have a bright future along with fisheries education New species, their hybrids and genetically modified species are gradually altering and profiting the aquaculture Added to this are the new techniques like cage culture, Biofloc aquaculture, Recirculating system, Aquaponics. All these techniques could be brought to commercial level The awareness in the profitability of aquaculture has greatly increased and youth have realised the adoption of aquaculture, fish processing, fishery products and byproducts etc , as new areas for the “start-up” The scheme to create 75000 Amritsarovars in the country with at least 75 in each district,will create a huge hectare for the adoption of aquaculture Rajasthan with 50 districts should get 3750 water bodies in this scheme thereby offering immense scope for the development of aquaculture. For all this, we need a well thought out fisheries education strategy for Rajasthan so that, this profession along with agriculture will play a major role in our state through the involvement of youth and people at large and create employment and self-employment opportunities

Dr V.K.Unnithan memorial lecture

College of Fisheries,MPUAT organised Dr V.K.Unnithan memorial lecture as a tribute to Unnithan.Dr. Unnithan, born on January 25, 1952. Dr. Milind Sawant, Head, Department of Aquatic E i t Fi heries College, Ratnagiri, Maharashtra, delivered the memorial lecture on advanced farming methods and management of shrimp farming in Rajasthan and other states He told that by taking care of some important things and maintaining good water quality, more production can be obtained from underground saline waterFormer Dean Dr Subodh Kumar Sharma said that Dr. V.K. Unnithan has done remarkable research work in the field of inland freshwater fisheries He specially mentioned his research work on Sarsi fish of Jaisamand for which he was awarded Ph D Later he did post doctorate from Tasmania, Australia Dr Unnithan served as scientist in various research institutes of ICAR On this occasion, Dr Madhu Sudan Sharma, Former Vice-Chancellor,Kota University, Dr H K Vardia,ex Dean,CoF,Kawardha,DrB K Sharma,Dean,CoF,Udaipur, Dr. M.L. Ojha, Assoc. Prof ,Former Deputy Director Fisheries Department A K Purohit and others conveyed humble tributes to Dr Unnithan Former Dean Dr L L Sharma while sharing his views on the achievements of Dr Unnithan informed that CIFRI was also awarded the prestigious national level ICAR team award for the work and outstanding research on breeding and rearing of giant African shell Achatina fulica

Orange Fin Labeo:Labeo calbasu (Hamilton, 1822)

Labeo calbasu, commonly known as orange fin Labeo is a minnow carp belonging to the family Cyprinidae and the most speciose freshwater fish order Cypriniformes Labeo calbasu, the black rohu is an important fish species commonly found in the river

Ganga and its tributaries inhabits slow-moving streams, and rivers as well as occur in ponds, reaching a maximum length of about 90 cm and weight of 5 5 kg It is a popular food fish with high protein content, fewer intramuscular bones, and good taste It is also recognized as a good sport fish.

Systematics

Order- Cypriniformes

Family-Cyprinidae (Minnows or carps)

Sub-family-Labeoninae

Etymology:

Labeo (Latin) means one who has large lips

Distinguishing features of L calbasu

The width of the head equals its length excluding the snout The mouth is rather narrow with an obtuse and depressed snout. The lips are thick and fringed and each has a distinct inner fold They have very short gill rakers Four pairs of barbels are present The dorsal fin commences in advance of the ventrals and midway between the snout and the base of the deeply forked caudal The colour is blackish but occasionally the upper lobe of the caudal is white

Biology of L. calbasu

It is essentially a bottom feeder that feeds on plants, varies in different regions coinciding with the monsoon floods of those regions

In spite of its popularity as a food fish, not much information is until date available to improve its production in culture However,many have already reported its compatibility with Indian Major Carps in the polyculture system For that reason, Labeo calbasu could be a suitable option for enhancing aquaculture production

-Lovedeep Sharma

PA-I, DBT Project College of Fisheries, GBPUA &T, Pantnagar

New appointments

In-service officers of the state Fisheries Department were promoted to higher positions after DPC Layak Ali Dy Director,Udaipur is promoted as the Joint Director Fisheries,Jaipur Dr C P Juyal Asst Director Fisheries (plan), Jaipur was promoted Deputy Director Fisheries,Jaipur He retired on 31 January,2023 Sh Dharmesh Sodani, Assistant Director Fisheries, Jaipur has been promoted to the post of Deputy Director, Udaipur Shri Rakesh Dave,FDO Tonk has been promoted as Assistant Director Fisheries (plan) Jaipur Amit Purohit Assistant Director (officiating) Jaipur has been promoted as Assistant Director (H Q),JaIpur Hopefully, this will give a new impetus to the working of the department

International Seminar on "Reorientation of Zoological Thoughts for capacity building of Tribal Populations" filamentous algae and diatoms Male and female can be identified by observing the secondary sexual characteristics, which used to appear only durin breeding season The roughness of the pectora the large size of the pectoral fin and the freely o milt coming out by putting slight pressure on abdomen are the identifying morpholo characteristics for the male While, the smoothne the pectoral fin and the scales, smaller size o pectoral fin, bulging abdomen and extrovert vent are the identifying characteristic of the female of this fish species The fecundity ranges of L calbasu from 37,454 to 980,700.It is a seasonal breeder; breeds in monsoon months (July-August) The breeding season

The International Seminar on “Reorientation of Zoological Thoughts for Building Capacity of Tribal Population” was organised by partment of Sukhadia

Speaking as the t at the closing of the two days turday, March 25, Madhu Sudan Sharma former Vice-Chancellor,Kota University said that the life of tribals can be upgraded through the knowledge and concepts of zoology. Apart from agriculture, this is possible for the tribal community to increase their income through animal husbandry, fisheries,silk worm rearing vermiculture By taking advantage of various schemes of Government of India and Government of Rajasthan, fish farming can increase the standard of living and nutrition level India is number one in the world in milk production and second in the world in fish and silk production Dr Rajpal Singh Yadav, manager of the Pesticide Management Program of the World Health Organisation, Geneva, stated that pesticides should be used wisely only when needed Their inclusion in water bodies is disastrous.

Dr Naresh Mehta visit to Thailand

Dr. Naresh Kumar Mehta, Assist. Professor attended one month training as “Visiting Researcher” at International Centre of Excellence in Seafood Science and Innovation, Faculty of Agro-Industry, Prince Songkla University (PSU), Hat Yai, Thailand The training was organised from 23 February to 24 March,2023 The visit of Dr Mehta was funded by IDP-National Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP-ICAR) under the aegis of Central Agricultural University, Imphal. He is working on Elucidation of bio-active peptides from green mussel and their application in human health At PSU, Dr Mehta worked under the mentorship of world renowned food scientist Prof Soottawat Benjakul, who has more than 54000 citations at his credit

National Seminar on ‘Current Trends of Research in Biological Sciences’

A two-days national seminar on “Current Trends of Research in Biological Sciences” was organized at Kota under the aegis of Internal Quality Assurance Cell of Janki Devi Bajaj Government Girls College and Kota Chapter of Indian Botanical Society

Presiding the opening session of seminar, Principal Dr Sanjay Bhargava explained the process of selecting the necessary facilities in the research. Raghuraj Parihar, Assistant Director, College Education Commissionerate, described the usefulness of this academic program. Dr. Poonam Jaiswal explained the importance of the national seminarIn the first technical session, L L Sharma,Former Dean, College of Fisheries, Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology gave keynote address on the topic “Scope of Limnological/Hydrobiological Research on Inland Waters” Using power point presentation Dr Sharma categorically explained basic concepts of inland water ecosystem and application of limnological research in analysing various conservation issues In the second session, Professor Sundar Murthy of Jai Narayan Vyas University, Jodhpur mentioned about use of statistics for biological data analysis On the second day of seminary Dr Neerja Shrivtastav joint Secretary, IBS, Kota chapter presented the outline of seminar program followed by an address by Dr Suchita Jain IQAC coordinator Dr S Abdul Kadir Assoc Professor, Department of Plant Biology and Plant Biotech, Presidency College Chennai presented talk on Recent trends in Plant Taxonomic Research Another talk was given by Dr L.K. Sharma, Professor & Head,Department of Environmental Science, Central University of Rajasthan Ajmer,on the topic Geospatial Technology for Natural Resources:Monitoring and Management

During this event Dr Neelima Bhardwaj, Dr Nitika Singh, Dr Mamta Chowdhary, Anita Malav, Dr Neerja Srivastava, Dr. Hemlata Gupta were also present.Dr Pratima Srivastava,Secretary,Indian Botanical Society Kota Chapter informed that this seminar was organised in hybrid mode and attended by several students and faculty members

Conference in Ludhiana on Fisheries and Aquaculture-An Ecological Perspective

Dr H K Vardia chaired a session and adjudged the best presentation in the technical session on Aquaculture Production Systems and Sustainability in the conference on “Fisheries and Aquaculture-An Ecological Perspective'' Rajfisheries

(IESFAC-2023) organized by Indian Ecological Society (IES), Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana (Punjab) in collaboration with Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU), Ludhiana, Punjab from 22-24 February, 2023 In r B.K.Sharma,Dean,CoF also participated and chaired a technical session

Dr.N.C.Ujjania Delivered Lecture

c Biology), Veer Narmad rat (Gujarat) was recently to deliver a lecture in l seminar on Recent pment for Preservation ustainable Development Government PG College, wara (MP) In this r Dr Ujjania delivered on the topic “Fish rsity and Management : udy of Jaisamand Lake han)” Stating the e fish diversity in the ( ) ( ) and Madhya Pradesh (136), he stressed the importance of fish biodiversity for health and medicine, employment,income generation and as source of nutritious food The introduction of exotic fish tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus P) and its effect on local fish resources and diversity of Jaisamand Lake was described In his lecture he also elucidated the impact of tilapia on indigenous fauna which also resulted in stunted growth in tilapia At the end of the talk he stated various controlling measures and efforts of the Government of Rajasthan to control the tilapia in Jaisamand Lake. Dr Ujjania was felicitated by a memento and certificate of appreciation on this occasion Dr Ujjainia is active on social media platforms and so far published several research papers

WLC19 :Call for Participation

The 19th World Lake Conference will be held in Balatonfüred, Hungary, in November 2023 Balatonfüred is a resort town on the northern shore of Lake Balaton with many historic attractions. It is easily accessible by train or bus from the capital, Budapest, which is only one to two hours away The beautiful city of Budapest, known as the “Pearl of the Danube”, is also a World Heritage Site and well worth a visit We recommend taking the opportunity to visit there, too

● Dates: November 7-9, 2023

● Venue: the Balatonfured Conference Hall

● Theme: “Beyond the lakes: linking science, culture and governance for their sustainable use”

Further information on registration and the content of the event will be posted on the official WLC19 website as it becomes available https://wwwworldlakeconference-balaton hu/ en

TRPSF-23 call for papers

National Conference on Transforming Rural Poverty to Prosperity through Sustainable Fisheries(TRPSF-23) and Fish Fair to be organised by College of Fisheries, Kishanganj, (Bihar Animal Sciences University,Patna) in collaboration with AIASA-Fisheries Chapter during July 19-21, 2023 at Kisahanganj

Important dates:

-Abstract submission: 15th February 2023

-Abstract submission Ends: 30th April 2023

-Full length paper submission ends: 30th May 2023

-Deadline for Application for Different competitions: 15 June 2023

Major themes of conference

Theme I: Priming Indian Aquaculture for Boosting Rural Economy

Theme II:Fisheries Resources and Environment management

Theme III: Biotechnological Interventions for Improving Fisheries Production

Theme IV: One health for Ffish Wealth

Theme V: Fisheries Value Edition and Supply Chain for Sustainable Consumption

Theme VI:Fisheries Science Society Linkage and Rural Prosperity.

There will be a series of Technical sessions with keynote addresses and lead lectures

Other activities of the conference include women scientist interaction, young scientist conclave,career counselling consortium, alumni meet, farmer-scientist interaction, cultural night and exhibition

Best oral and poster presentations will be awarded in two categories in each theme :young scientist below 35 years and scientist above 35 years Rajfisheries Newsletter, 3 (2) , April, 2023

Contacts for Correspondence

1 Dr V P Saini(Convener)

Dean, CoF Kishanganj

Email: sainivpfish@yahoo com

Mob: 7976237240

2 Mr Tapas Paul(Organizing Secretary)

Assistant Professor & Head, Email:trpsf cofkne2023@gmail com

Mob: 7506901366

Dr H.K. Vardia visit to A & N Islands

Recently I have witnessed wonderful fisheries during an excursion tour to Andman & Nicobar Islands from arch 11-17, 2023. e union territory Andaman & cobar has 585 and the northeast dian Ocean herein the shelf is narrow & steep wi reefs harbouring reach fauna of corals, fishes, mollus and crabs It was amazing to see different species marine creatures, hundreds of marine species unusual fishes, corals, and shells Beautiful & clea amazing visual treat and a unique perspective on conchology

The architecture of the museum itself gives an illusion of the sea and its life Acquired good information of the underwater life The founder K Raja Mohamed of this museum put his total effort in collecting these Sea Shells to establish this magnificent attraction on the grounds of Mahabalipuram in 2013 Various types of mollusc shells with scientific names, place of collection, etc along with different types of pearls, their mother mollusc shell with various shapes has given a deep insight to the subject b W y d a wonderful experience to see soft and hard corals, as well as other cnidarian groups such as sea anemones forming a symbiotic relationship with dinoflagellate algae especially through glass bottom boats It is a must visit site for people related to fisheries

I also visited India Seashell Museum, the largest seashell museum in Asia located at Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram), a famous tourist destination of South India, just 50 kms south of Chennai on March 19, 2023 The museum houses over 40,000 specimens of rare and unique seashells and pearls It offered an

-Dr

H K Vardia,Ex Dean,College of Fisheries,Kawardha,Chhattisgarh

Dr. C.V. Kulkarni Best Ph.D. Student Research Award (2021-2022)

Dr Udai Ram Gurjar received this award during the 4th Students' convention ICAR-CIFE on 21 March 2023. This award was given

( ) and all other faculty members of ICAR- CIFE, and Deans from different Fisheries colleges of India This prestige award was screened and recommended by the national level committee for his thesis entitled “Study on occurrence of microplastics in water, sediments and selected fishes off Mumbai coast” This study was completed under the guidance of Dr Martin Xavier, Senior Scientist ICAR-CIFE, Mumbai From this research Dr Gurjar published 5 Research papers in internationally reputed journals with an impact factor of above 5 or Naas rating more than 10. Dr Gurjar also presented his thesis work in various international conferences and seminars for which he received the best oral and poster presentation awards. Dr C.V.Kulkarni Best PhD Research award is used to be given every year to researchers from all over India based on PhD research work

Bhamashah Award to Vasudha

sudha Shekhawat, a student College of Fisheries, MPUAT ently felicitated by the stigious Bhamashah award the outstanding hievements in Fisheries ence (BFSc)with Overall ade Point Average

3/10 00 The award nsisted of gold medal,cash ze of Rs 11001 and tificate presented by Dr. kshyaraj Singh Mewar in a grand ceremony 39th Annual Awards Distribution Ceremony was organised on 26th March 2023 at Zenana Mehal, the City Palace, Udaipur, Rajasthan under the aegis of Maharana Mewar Foundation Earlier Vasudha earlier received Gold Medal at MPUAT convocation for securing the highest marks in BFSc.

Fish Mortality in Bird village Menar

Unprecedented fish mortality occurred in the Brahma sarovar and Dhand tank of Bird village Menar Reportedly wetlands of Menar are the refuge of hundreds of species of birds from India and abroad in winterAs high as 135 types of species of birds come from 3000 km awayEvery year in winter, rare birds from China, Mongolia, Siberia and Central Asia and Europe come to Menarthe birds travel long distance because of excessive cold in those areas, there is a shortage of food Till March, these migratory birds encamp at Menar along with other nearby water bodies namely Bhatevar Talab, and Badwai Talab Menar wetlands attract birds because human activities around wetlands are more eco friendly and there is ample amount of food available in the form of fish fingerlings and vegetation Due to the presence of birds in sizable numbers, Menar is also known as Bird Village

The mortality of fish was seen for a few days in the shallow littoral zone of the wetlands Recently Menar wetlands have been listed as wetlands,awaiting official declaration At the initiative of local Pakshi Mitras and forest department, Pollution Control Board (PCB) had taken water samples.The dead fishes were also sent for post mortem to identify the cause of mortality

Initial investigation has revealed that huge quantities of contaminated sewage effluents are getting mixed in these wetlands through the drain According to Dr L L Sharma, ex Dean, College of Fisheries and Limnologist, unexpected change in water quality due to sudden weather change can be the probable reason for the mortality Apart from this, the possibility of any type of bacterial or viral disease cannot be ruled out,however, there is a need to confirm this by scientific research, Dr Sharma added

As per the post mortem report of Dr Kailash Lohar,VO ,Neemdi, Vallabhnagar the cause of fish mortality was sudden change in temperature of water causing haemorrhage

Further, such dead fishes were found unfit for consumption as these might have consumed contaminated food or vegetation The sudden change in temperature therefore, seems a probable cause of mortality as it occurred in the shallow marginal area of wetlands where fluctuations in water temperature are more severe

Due to the death of fish, concern has increased about the availability of natural food for the migratory birds. Fear is also expressed about possibility of birds falling ill due to the putrefactive smell of dead fish It is appropriate to stop unabated disposal of sewage water entering the ponds through the drains Similarly, piles of polythene and solid waste on the sides of wetlands should be cleaned and proper mechanism needs to be developed to check any further pollution

-Dr Darshana Dave, Asst Prof Zoology,Shramjivi B.Ed.College,Janardan Rai Nagar University, Udaipur

Campus News:

1.Educational Tour of Fisheries students

B FSc students of college of Fisheries visited Gujarat coastal areas from 5 to 12th Feb 2023 A group of 47 graduate students of Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology, Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology,visited the coastal areas of Gujarat under an educational tourThe tour was jointly led by Dr Subodh Sharma, former Dean of the college and Dr. M.L. Ojha, In-charge of the Fish Breeding and Research Unit,MPUAT The group of students of Class BFSc 2nd and 3rd year visited major centers and institutes of fisheries importance of Gujarat This educational tour was organized under for this academic learning program visited Narara Marine Life Sanctuary, at Jamnagar on 6th Feb , Marine Fisheries Research Institute at Okha, Light house and sandy and rocky beaches of Dwarka and collected some specimens of shellfish, and seaweeds.On next day i e 8th Feb, 2023, the team visited Porbandar fishing yard, fish landing center and boat building yard Students also collected marine fish specimens and watched the launching of fishing vessels in the sea after repair After reaching Veraval on 8th evening the students stayed overnight and next day on 9th Feb they visited Diu Island and visited the rocky beach, Nagua beach and studied about the Wave cut platforms and modification of land adjoining to the coast due to wave action They also visited the INS Khukri, the war memorial ship of the Indian Navy, and observed various features of safety, crew operations, engine room, defence mechanism, life saving devices, lifeboats, Radar and sonar systems installed on the ship On 10th Feb The students visited the fish landing Center, fish market and learned about the fish auction, marketing and transportation procedures. They visited the Sailganga Fish processing Center at Veraval and learned about the industrial units of fisheries, about the sorting, cleaning, processing, freezing, quality control, packaging and storage at minus 25 degree Celsius In the afternoon the students reached the College of Fisheries, Veraval and visited various departments under the guidance of Dr K.V.

Tank, Dr J N Thaker and Dr R C Khileri Students learned about the various fishes available on Gujarat coast, various fish processing techniques, fisheries engineering aspects, crafts & Gears by seeing their models and laboratories, and research activities being conducted in the College On 11th of Feb Students visited the Sasan Gir and studied about the wild life Sanctuary and forest ecosystem On 12th Feb The students visited the fish farm of Junagadh Agriculture University and departed back to Udaipur.

2.Training Program on Quality Fish Seed Production

A 7-day skill development training was organized on the subject of fish ding and hatchery agement This training organized under the tutional Development eme, I C A R , New hi for the graduate ents of the College of eries Highlighting the importance of training, Chief Guest Dr VK Tiwari, former Principal Scientist of the Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Mumbai, said that through several schemes of the government, including the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, self-employment is being promoted in various areas of fisheries There is always demand for quality fish eed from the point of view increasing fish farming the state, thus the need r training in hatchery anagement and seed oduction is required for rengthening self-employment Special Guest and Director,Planning and Monitoring and IDB in-charge Dr Mahesh Kothari awarded certificates to all 25 successful participants He encouraged the students to decide their goals, prepare for further studies in higher level institutions and pursue their career. Presiding the inauguration of training program Dr B K Sharma underlined the importance of this training for the state of Rajasthan and scope for self-employment in this sector.

Special guest and former Dean Dr Subodh Sharma,suggested the participants to establish fisheries production enterprises by taking advantage of the valuable experience of the entrepreneurs He said that all-round development of the students is possible with this type of practical training Assoc Professor and Organizing Secretary Dr. M.L. Ojha said that in this training Principal Scientist CIFE Dr VK Tiwari, Dr Atul Jain and former Dean Fisheries College Dr L L Sharma provided information to the participants through their detailed lectures on various aspects of fish hatcheries and seed production technology Participants also witnessed breeding of common carp during this training at the Fisheries Research and Seed Production Unit of MPUAT

- Dr. Subodh Kumar Sharma,Public Relations Officer, MPUAT, Udaipur

New Thesis: M.F.Sc.Thesis

Assessment of Managerial Aspects and Bacterial Population of Shrimp Farms of Ratnagiri Coast by By Bhavesh Choudhary

Major Advisor - DR A S Pawase, Professor, Department of Aquaculture,College of Fisheries, Shirgaon, Ratnagiri, -415629

(Dr Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidhyapeeth, Dapoli,(Maharashtra)

Intensification of shrimp farming practices has resulted in an increase in the ber and severity of ase outbreaks. As a result, ases have become a ficant barrier to profitable sustainable shrimp uction Shrimp farming is ming increasingly popular dia, these increased and sive farming practices ise in viral and bacterial infections Vibrios are the most important bacterial diseases because they are found naturally in coastal waters. They are also seen in shrimp production conditions as opportunistic infections The present study was conducted to identify the bacterial pathogens associated with the shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei cultivation system along the Ratnagiri coast Varavade farm was a six years old farm and Chinchkhari farm was a virgin new farm. Total plate count (TPC) of the shrimp farm water samples of the Varavade farm varied from 4 35 to 6 32 log10 CFU mL-1 In the sediments, the minimum value of TPC was 4.99 log10 CFU g-1 while the maximum value observed was 7 25 log10 CFU g-1 The Total Vibrio count (TVC) of water samples from Varavade farm varied from 4.01 to 5.63 log10 CFU mL-1 . In the sediments, minimum value of TVC was 4 64 while the maximum value observed was 6 56 log10 CFU g-1 . The presumptive Salmonella count (PSC) of shrimp farm water samples varied from 2 22 to 3 45 log10 CFU mL-1 In the sediments PSC were ranged between 2 37 to 3 89 log10 CFU g-1 . The statistical analysis showed that there was a significant difference in TPC, TVC and presumptive Salmonella count (p<0 05) among different days of culture

Total plate count (TPC) of the shrimp farm water samples of the Chinchkhari farm varied from 5 22 to 8 17 log10 CFU mL-1 In the sediment, the minimum value of TPC was 5.87 while the maximum value was observed at 8 45 log10 CFU g-1 The Total Vibrio count (TVC) of water samples from Chinchkhari farm varied from 4 75 to 6 89 log10 CFU mL-1 . In the sediment, minimum value of TVC was 5 16 while the maximum value observed was to 6 70 log10 CFU g-1 The presumptive Salmonella count (PSC) of shrimp farm water samples ranged from 2.01 to 4.12 log10 CFU mL-1 In the sediments PSC were ranged between 2 50 to 4 26 log10 CFU g-1 The statistical analysis showed that there was a significant difference in TPC, TVC and presumptive Salmonella (p<0 05) among different days of culture It was observed that the TPC, TVC and presumptive Salmonella counts of sediments were always higher compared to pond water samples for both the farms This study suggested strictly following managemental aspects such as water and soil quality management, feeding management and controlled use of chemicals Seeds certified as specific pathogen resistant (SPR) should be used

Weekly monitoring of the culture condition should be done for early detection of the disease Our studies revealed that stocking density in the ponds played the major role for the increase in