Arunachal Pradesh, July 11: Arunachal Minister for Fisheries etc. Gabriel D Wangsu made a maiden visit to one of India’s premier fishery institutes, the CIFRI (Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute) at Barrackpore in West Bengal for firsthand information and familiarization with its activities and plan and policies under outreach programmes on Wednesday. He had an extensive discussion with the Director CIFRI Dr. Basanta Kumar Das on wide range of topics of fisheries and aquaculture.

During the visit the minister was assured of all support by CIFRI in training for capacity building, enhancement of production in open water resources, research and development of low-cost feed from locally available ingredients, exploratory survey of fish bio-diversity in the rivers and streams of the state. CIFRI further expressed eagerness to extend cooperation for knowledge and technology partnership in the management of reservoir and wetlands, application of drone technology in the management of aquaculture practices and water analysis for physico-chemical parameters.

He also took part in the celebration of National Fish Farmers Day with the Hon’ble Minister for Fisheries Govt. of West Bengal Shri Biplab Roychowdhury, the entire CIFRI fraternity and fish farmers of West Bengal at the CIFRI complex here where he was accorded warm reception by the scientists and staff of the institute.

Greeting all the scientists and fish farmers of the country for prosperity through fisheries and aquaculture at the function, the minister observed that fishery tops the hierarchy of all the agriculture and the allied sectors, and that tapping all potentials of fisheries can definitely help the nation prosper manifold.

During the day, Wangsu went around all the facilities including laboratories and experimental units at the institute and had interactions with the lead scientists and took stock of various research activities being taken up by the institute and the benefit these brought for the farmers.

Earlier in the day the minister released fish fingerlings in the river Ganga running nearby the institute as a part of river ranching programme for stock enhancement and conservation in river Ganga. Around 1 lakh fish fingerlings of Indian Major Carbs were released at Gandhi Ghat in Ganga.

He was accompanied during his tour by Hage Tari, Secretary Fisheries Govt. of Arunachal Pradesh, officers from the Directorate of Fisheries, Itanagar and ARC Kolkata.