Responsible Growth is Sustainable Growth

Dr. P. Koteswara Rao, Principal & Additional Director, State Institute of Fishery Technology, Kakinada was the Chief Guest on the occasion. Dr. Muralidhar P. Ande, OIC and other staff with 40 farmers participated in the program. Mr. S. Balaji, State Coordinator, NaCSA flagged the concerns over growing number of aqua chemical products in market (estimated to be nearly 6000 chemicals/ drugs), their indiscriminate usage in aquaculture and the resultant effects on the industry including development of anti-microbial resistance (AMR) and adverse health effects. The emergence of highly intensive aquaculture systems seems to have led to the usage of chemicals in every step of fish/shrimp culture (pond preparation chemicals, piscicides, herbicides, water treatment chemicals, disinfectants, nutrient modifiers, feed additives & diseases regulating drugs, preservatives and adulterants. The workshop identified the need for a concerted national campaign to educate the farmers to guard against misleading info/ads that aid unnecessary and excessive use of chemicals, resulting in higher costs and crop losses. Sensitization about FSSAI regulations on permissible limits of various chemicals/drugs in fish and fishery products to prevent export rejections and consumer health shall be part of such a campaign. Promotion of BMPs, widespread adoption of pre-harvest check-up, monitoring for presence of spurious and restricted chemicals in market, etc. shall integral to this.