TSP Programme conducted at Gangasagar, West Bengal

The Visakhapatnam Research Centre of ICAR-CIFT conducted a training cum demonstration under Tribal Sub Plan in Gangasagar of Sagar Islands, West Bengal in collaboration with Vivekananda Institute of Biotechnology (VIB) of Shri Ramakrishna Ashram (Under core Support Programme of DST, Govt. of India), Nimpith Ashram, South 24-Parganas, West Bengal, during 28-30December, 2014.Sagar Island constitutes 44 villages, nine Gram Panchayat with a total population of 267,000 out of which 5387 fisher families spread across all the villages. Among the villages Gangasagar has highest density of fisher population and majority of them belong to economically under privileged groups. For the same reason Gangasagar was chosen to conduct TSP.

The inaugural session of the programme was presided over by Dr.M.M.Prasad, Principal Scientist and SIC of ICAR-CIFT Visakhapatnam Research Centre. Shri Sanjoy Halder of VIB welcomed the gathering. In the inaugural address Dr. Prasad dealt on role of ICAR in catering the food and nutritional security needs of increasing population and also of ICAR-CIFT that gives equal emphasis in developing technologies that suits rural conditions namely foldable fish traps for harvesting fish, fabrication of fishing gears that are eco-friendly in natureand use of insulated fish bags for fish transportation from landing centres, during sale while ensuring quality for better price realization. Shri Tapan Roy Chowdhary, Advisor to the VIB and the young Saint of the Ashram, Basudev  Swamy Maharaj also spoke on the occasion.

During the three days’ programme the participants were given lectures on importance of fish as food, hygienic handling of fish at different stages right from harvest to postharvest,product development, storage till it reaches the consumer/plate; reasons for spoilage of fish and the measures to control the same, preparation of different value added fish products and uses of gears namely eco-friendly nature and less drudgery of the same over traditional one employed by them. The value added fish products demonstrated included fish pickles, cutlets and pakoda.  Salt curing of fish by hygienic and scientific methods were also demonstrated.

The inputs such as foldable fish traps, gill nets, insulated fish bags based on the technologies developed by ICAR-CIFT were given ‘gratis’ to the participants besides ice boxes to transport fish from landing centre, heat sealer to help proper packaging of the product in hygienic conditions, for storage and also posters showing importance of consuming fish at regular basis to cater nutritional needs and also for increasing awareness among the tribal fishers.

Field visit to dry cured fish yards of Beguakhali

A field visit was under taken   to the dry fish curing yards of Beguakhali village of Gangasagar Gram Panchayat, Sagar Block of 24 Paraganas District of West Bengal to assess the quality of cured fish. It is observed that the cured fish had considerable amount of extraneous material. This was mainly due to improper handling and absence of sorting before drying.

                    Lecture in Progress at Gangasagar                              Demonstration of value added fish products

             Demonstration on Foldable Fish traps                                                  Quality assessment of cured fish