A community-based aquaculture project in the Indian islands of Lakshadweep is helping islanders generate their own income. Coconuts and Tuna fishing make up the main income of the West Indian archipelago, but fishing halts during the monsoon season and other revenue streams and resources are limited. So the National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources is trying out a first-of-its-kind experiment to train 82 islanders in ornamental fish aquaculture and put them on a possible path of self-reliance, with 77 of those trained being women.
Those selected have undergone intensive training and are equipped with rearing tubs, aeration, filtration, food, and livestock. The first animals are two species of ornamental shrimp, Thor hainanensis, Anylocaris brevicarpalis, and Clownfish, with the aim of the islanders raising them to a marketable size. Using local resources, community-based ornamental fish aquaculture is expected to help women in the Lakshadweep islands take the first step towards self-reliance through concerted activities.
Lakshadweep is a tropical archipelago of 36 atolls and coral reefs in the Laccadive Sea, off the coast of Kerala, India. The seas there are rich in fish and coral species, with Lakshadweep’s official animal being the Blackwedged butterflyfish, Chaetodon falcula.
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