TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: The Fisheries Department is apprehensive over implementing the ambitious ‘open sea cage project’ for breeding modso or Lemon fish – also called Cobia, since there is shortage of cobia seeds in the country. Hence, this year, government is looking to import the seeds from Taiwan.
The Union Ministry for Agriculture has assured that it would give an import licence to the state, and has recommended that the State identify a two-acre area for setting up quarantine facility for cobia seeds. The government used to previously purchase over 50,000 cobia seeds from Kerala.
Speaking to media after attending the ministerial meeting chaired by Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh in Delhi, State secretary for Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Amjad Tak expressed the department’s helplessness on the issue.
“On an average we require 50,000 seeds annually. We have submitted a proposal to Union Ministry to allow the import of seeds from Taiwan,” he said, adding that the ministry has assured to give import licence for the purchase.
