Team Herald
PANJIM: In a bid to increase the production of green mussels, locally known as ‘Xinanneo’, the National Institute of Oceanography (CSIR-NIO) has decided to introduce tech-demo of rack techniques of mussel farming at select locations in the State with the active involvement of stakeholders.
The decision was taken after CSIR-NIO successfully conducted a tech-demo farming of green mussels in a sheltered bay of Madcaim village in Ponda taluka. This was carried out to complement the Integrated Skill initiative of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Skill India Mission.
“In the wake of ever increasing demand for this gourmet seafood and the dwindling natural harvest, farming of green mussels holds an enormous potential,” NIO said in its press statement.
“And in order to bridge the vast gap between the supply and demand, recently the CSIR-NIO successfully conducted the demo test in a sheltered bay at Madcaim village,” it stated.
Sustainably, high production of 6120 green mussels with a total biomass of 200 kg with shell on (11kg/ per sq meter) was achieved during the culture period of five months. “Monthly growth rates of 7.5 gm in weight and 13 mm in length were witnessed and an average weight of each cultured mussel at the time of harvest was 42 gm,” NIO said.
As such, for the wider dissemination, the CSIR-NIO has made elaborate plans to deploy more such tech-demo units of different techniques of mussel farming (open sea raft, rope culture, etc) at selected localities of Goa with the active involvement of stakeholders.
“Technological diffusion could help in realizing one of the grand challenges ‘doubling fishermen’s incomes by 2022’ as envisioned by the Government of India,” NIO said.
