Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU), Ludhiana becomes the first Indian varsity to receive fisheries development project under Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), launched by Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, GOI in 2020 with an estimated budget outlay of Rs. 20,000 crores for a period of 5 years (2020-21 to 2024-25), to harness production potentials of marine & inland aquatic resources.
Dr. Meera D. Ansal, Dean, College of Fisheries, informed that University will be developing a ‘Capacity Building Resource Centre’ under the sanctioned project with total budget of Rs. 183.85 lakh, for promoting low volume intensive aquaculture technologies like Re- circulatory Aquaculture system (RAS) and Biofloc Aquaculture in the region through an integrated research, demonstration cum skill development module. The said facility will cater the much sought after training needs to set up intensive aquaculture systems in Punjab and its neighbouring states, she added.
Low volume smart aquaculture technologies like RAS, biofloc based aquaculture and aquaponics are essentially required in the modern world to develop resilience against climate change and achieve envisaged production targets, with only 10-15% land/water requirements as compared to traditional culture practices, said Dr. Inderjeet Singh, Vice Chancellor, GADVASU. He further added that the upcoming centre will be an asset for the region, offering hands on training to the stakeholders aspiring to adopt such intensive technologies in small land holdings, especially in the semi urban and urban areas. Furthermore, the university intends to receive more funding under PMMSY to provide ‘State of Art’ utility services to fish/shrimp farmers of the country, said Dr. Singh.
Dr. J. P. S. Gill, Director of Research, GADVASU informed that the Vet Varsity has developed a brand name at national and international levels, owing to its significant innovative R&D contributions in uplifting the livestock and fisheries sectors; and with the present PMMSY funded project, the university will be achieving another milestone in serving the fisheries sector.
