Dr. Uttam K. Sarkar, Director, ICAR-NBFGR, Lucknow, Visited ICAR-CCARI, Goa

            Dr. Uttam K. Sarkar, Director, ICAR-National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources (ICAR-NBFGR), Lucknow, visited ICAR-CCARI, Goa on 27^th January 2025. During his comprehensive tour, Dr. Sarkar explored the diverse experimental plots and facilities across the ICAR-CCARI campus. He visited Aquaculture farm facility, Ornamental fish breeding unit, Public Aquarium, Live gene bank facility, experimental plots of Natural Resource Management, Crop Science, Horticulture, and Animal Sciences, Biomass recycling units including vermicomposting unit, Jalopchar facility and demonstration unit for processing and value addition of cattle dung and urine.

            During his visit, he appreciated the efforts of fisheries section in developing farmer friendly technologies such as integrated fish farming system, duck-cum fish cage, low-cost estuarine fish trap, crab fattening unit, low-cost ornamental fish unit and seabass polyculture. He also suggested to develop hatchery units for freshwater fish breeding and modernize the public aquarium unit for agro-eco-tourism. He suggested to set up a small hatchery to undertake freshwater fish seed production. He also appreciated the external grants received for fisheries from NABARD, Forest Department and Asian development bank. Furthermore, he has also emphasized to source funding from NFDB, Ministry of Environment and Forest and Climate Change and Ministry of Earth Sciences to initiate actions towards restoration and conservation of fish genetic resources in the coastal region. Shri Trivesh Mayekar and Dr Sreekanth GB, (Scientists from CCARI) and Mr. Harshvardhan Shetye, (Young Professional) coordinated the programme.