Panaji: A resident of Candolim, North Goa became the first entrepreneur in the State to start an open sea cage farm under Goa State Mariculture Policy.
A senior state fisheries department official said that based on the request submitted to the Department of Fisheries, Government of Goa, Sheldon Fernandes was sanctioned licence to undertake open sea cage culture at Candolim in North Goa.
He is also a beneficiary under a centrally sponsored scheme of the Department of Fisheries, Government of India and State Fisheries Department, he said.
He said that the cage frames made of galvanised iron (GI) have a diameter of 6metre and fishes are cultured inside a net with depth of 5 metre tied to the cage frame.
“Hatchery produced seeds of Asian Seabass (Chonak) and Silver Pompano are being cultured in five cages,” he said.
More two cages under All India Network Project on Mariculture of ICAR- Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), Karwar have been integrated in the said project, the official said.
The technical advisory for the cage culture is also provided by ICAR-CMFRI, Karwar.
The official said that seeing the huge potential in mariculture activity, Government of Goa became the first State in India to notify mariculture policy to augment fish production through fish culture in cages (closed enclosures) from the sea.
