If technical facilities provided:

NCP can produce sufficient fingerlings

Bandula Seneviratne, Vavuniya North group

Sufficient fingerlings for the inland fishing industry can be produced if the authorities provide technical facilities and ponds, said Manager and the Officer-in-charge of Fresh Water Fish Breeding Centre and the United Pubudu Society for Production of Fingerlings at Galkulama, Padavi, Sripura G.M. Ratnasiri.

The United Fish Breeding Centre at Galkulama, Padavi, Sripura is being maintained under the patronage of the North Central Provincial Council for the last three years. Is the only breeding centre situated in North Central Province.

It was started by the Fisheries Ministry some time ago and operations came to a standstill due to terrorist activities and was restarted by the NCPC three years ago. The manager explained the activities and services provided by the centre.

This establishment is a society and it receives assistance from the Government and Provincial Council.

“We provide a valuable service by issuing around 100,000 fingerlings monthly by breeding Indian Carps.

We have only five ponds for breeding purposes and we have received funds from the Government to construct two more ponds. “At the begining we get eggs from mother fishes. A well grown mother fish weighing one kilo gives 50,000 to 80,000 eggs at a time. A mother fish lays eggs in one day after being provided with necessary hormones.

Eggs will hatch in three days and larve start swimming.

It takes two months to become a fingerling passing three stages of life. During this period feeding will be done with different food items. These fingerlings will issued to various tanks on the recommendation of the Provincial Fisheries Ministry.

Although the price of a fingerling is Rs. 2, the Government provides 70% assistance to fishermen and they have to pay only 60 cents for a fingerling.

“It is a large assistance provided by the Government and Provincial Council,” said Chandrasiri.

Due to lack of facilities they are unable to breed big fish like “Catla”, “Rohu” and “Berigal” who weigh up to three kilos, states Ratnasiri. They have not given up the hopes and they keep mother fishes of these varieties.

The manager said they can obtain 30,000-50,000 eggs from a mother fish of these varieties and breeding them is more profitable. President of the Pubudu Fish Breeding Society L.B. Ajith stated that the supply of water becomes a problem during the dry season and a good well tops the list of requirements.

Their target for the last year was to produce 500,000 fingerlings and they were able to beat the target and produce 800,000 fingerlings.

This year they have been given a target of 800,000 and Ajith said they will achieve it.