November 4, 2017: A low-cost cage fish farming technology for livelihood enhancement of fishing families in Karankadu village, Ramanathapuram district, Tamil Nadu, has been launched.

Under this cage- farming  method, juvenile fish from a hatchery or those caught from the normal fishing operation (which is usually discarded) are reared in confinement to market size in estuaries.

Twenty five marginalized fishing families from the fishing village were mobilized into groups. They were trained on various aspects of the cage farming including site selection, cage construction, feed management, farm management.  The technology developed  is less labor-intensive and therefore the women fishers can manage the feeding and maintaining the cages. The women can take it up as a s backyard activity since they reside near the estuary, where the cages are located. Due to this, local fishing families, especially women can find additional economic benefits.

1500 seabass seeds were introduced into 5 fish cages developed by fisher groups, with the technical guidance of MSSRF.

Thiru. Isac Jeyakumar, Deputy Director of Fisheries, Ramanathapuram, Father Rajamanikkam, Parish President, Karankadu,  Dr. Velvizhi, Fish for All Centre, MSSRF, Poombuhar, Ms. Amaraathi, Mr. Arulselvam, MSSRF Vedaranyam, Mr. Devaraj, Speed NGO and VDC members from Karankadu village  participated in the inaugural session of the event.