The Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) has taken half in a pioneering challenge of the Union Department of Fisheries to deploy synthetic reefs in a complete of three,477 fishing villages within the nation with the intention of selling sustainable fisheries and livelihood, in response to a communication. 

As a part of the bold challenge, a nationwide marketing campaign has been launched in affiliation with the respective State governments and with technical assist from the CMFRI, ranging from Kerala the place synthetic reefs have been proposed in 220 villages.

In the primary part of the challenge, 5 pre-stakeholder workshops had been performed from Tuesday to Friday for 42 villages in Thiruvananthapuram district, offering a platform to teach and have interaction village-level fishermen leaders concerning the potential of synthetic reefs in remodeling the marine fishing panorama. Site identification for the deployment of reefs was finalised through the conferences held at Poonthura, Vettukad, Perumathura, Kayikkara, and Vizhinjam beneath the organisation of Kerala State Coastal Area Development Corporation Limited (KSCADC), the operational company in Kerala, the communication mentioned.

An synthetic reef is a sheltered human-built construction, positioned on the seabed as an alternative choice to pure habitats. With a hard and fast scientific design, it features as a self-sustaining manufacturing system on the seabed.

The challenge is beneath the Prime Minister’s Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) scheme, with 60% funding from the Centre and 40% from the State governments. 

According to the CMFRI, a 17% to 30% enhance in fisheries was noticed from places the place the reefs had been already deployed. The know-how has been deployed in 132 places with a complete space of three.7 lakh sq. metres throughout the nation, together with Kerala beneath the management of the CMFRI.

For the previous few years, the CMFRI has been efficiently endeavor the set up of synthetic reefs within the coastal waters of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, and Kerala on an experimental foundation beneath the management of Principal Scientist Joe Ok. Kizhakudan. The optimistic consequence of the challenge by way of enhanced fish availability to small-scale fishers at decrease operation prices was instrumental in prompting the Central authorities to increase the know-how throughout the nation.

“The CMFRI has developed protocols for site selection, design, fabrication, deployment, and impact assessment of this innovative technology,” mentioned CMFRI Director A. Gopalakrishnan.

He cited its advantages, stating that synthetic reefs would assist restore the marine setting and increase coastal fish manufacturing. “It will discourage bottom trawling in the near shore areas, helping the marine environment regenerate and small-scale fishers get a higher catch,” mentioned Dr. Gopalakrishnan.

According to the CMFRI, over 300 species coexist in a settled synthetic reef habitat. The business varieties being drawn to the reef embrace breams, groupers, snappers, perches, cobia, sea bass, rabbit fish, silver biddies, seer fish, barracuda, mackerel, trevallies, and queen fish.