RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
Semi-intensive/intensive carp culture
The composite culture of carps, 3 species of Indian major carps (Catla, Rohu and Mrigal) and three exotic carps (Silver carp, Grass carp and Common carp) with appropriate stocking, application of cow dung and fertilizers, efficient water quality management and rational supplementary feeding developed and standardized. It gives the production of around 8 ton/ha/yr. Recently a fish production of 10,000 kg/ha/yr has been obtained at stocking density of 15,000 fingerlings/ha, artificial feed with 35% protein feed and aeration under intensive farming system.
Quality fish seed production
The packages of practices of induced breeding of culturable carps by pituitary extract (CPE) and ovaprim were optimized for tarai region. The technique of double breeding of culturable carps in one breeding season has also been developed which has the potential of increasing fish seed production from the same number of fish stock and available resources.
Lake and reservoir fisheries
The district of Nainital abounds in lakes in hills and reservoirs in tarai regions. The fisheries of these lakes is, however, in dire state. Fish production from these precious water bodies could be increased upto 70-80 kg per hectare per year by stocking suitable farm-raised fish species. The fish production of Sat tal, a medium altitude lake in Nainital was increased from 2-3 to 80 kg per hectare per year by stocking Indian major carps, under fisheries development in high altitude lakes programmes.
On the basis of detailed studies on energy flow in Nanak Sagar, the management strategies for increasing the fish production have been developed. It has been suggested that stocking of the reservoirs with detritophagus fishes will result in increased fish production.
Biomanipulation of Lakes
The fisheries of lake Nainital has been improved through biomanipulaiton. The unwanted fish fauna has drastically reduced while population of fishes of food value has established.
Protein requirement of Indian and exotic carps
The protein requirements of the fry of Labeo rohita, Catla catla and Cirrhinus mrigala, and young ones of Hypophthalmichthys molitrix has been determined under laboratory as well as field conditions.
Aquaculture Management in Coldwaters
Mahseer, the world-renowned game and food fish of the hills is one of the main native fish in the Himalayan waters.However, the fish has become endangered. Ecodatabase in selected snow-fed and spring fed streams has been prepared.
The population of golden mahseer in different streams has been estimated; the breeding grounds of mahseer have been identified and the factors causing the decline of mahseer have been identified.
Restoration programmes including the collection of fry and juveniles of golden mahseer from the natural resource, their rearing upto young stage in pond condition in foot hill regions for further stocking into the potential mahseer streams is carried out.The brood stock development in the ponds from hatchery bred stock as well as that collected from nature is under progress.
A hatchery for the breeding of pond raised golden mahseer is established to produce the stocking material of mahseer for stocking in depleted rivers and lakes for their rehabilitation.The rejuvenation of golden mahseer will greatly help in boosting the production of aquatic food and improving the tourism in the hill state.
Two carp fishes of food value in the sub temperate part of the Himalayan region viz., Labeo dyocheilus and Labeo dero have been chosen for the development of farming technology and production of stocking material under hatchery conditions.
Advancement of gonadal development in Magur
Through change of the directions of environmental factors particularly photoperiod and temperature, the gonadal development in Clarias batrachus (Magur) could be initiated as early as January leading to availability of specimens with developed gonads by March/April.
Integrated fish farming technology
The duck-cum-fish culture technology has been developed in which by using Khaki campbell ducks in the system a production of 6000 kg fish/ha/yr and 270 eggs per duck/yr was obtained without any addition of fertilizer in the pond.
Establishment of modern circular hatchery
Although the hatchery fish seed production has increased considerably in last two decades, the availability of quality fish seed is still a bottleneck in achieving high fish production in the farmer's field.
As of now none of the State Agriculture University has a large fish seed hatchery for commercial production of fish seed.Taking step in this direction, the University established a large circular hatchery for fish seed production.
The seed production unit has a completely indoor hatchery with breeding and hatching facilities for production of about 100 million post larvae of cultivable carps in one breeding season. The seed is being produced from the brood stock developed on different lines to improve the efficiency of the growth of fish seed.
The hatchery has a completely modern unit of nursery and rearing ponds sufficient enough to produce about 40 million advanced fry/fingerlings of fishes.
The fingerlings are being stocked in the reservoirs located in nearby areas.
It is expected that the fish production from reservoirs may be increased from 40 kg/ha/yr to 200 kg/ha/yr by stocking the seed thus produced in the hatchery.The quality fish seed is also being provided to the farmers to increase their production.
Seed production of catfish (Magur)
The technology for broodstock care, induced breeding and larval rearing of the catfish (Magur) has been developed.
Captive breeding of Kali Rohu(Khat) and Mohu
Successful brood stock rearing of Khat (Labeo dyocheilus) and Mohu(Labeo dero), induced breeding in captivity after bringing from rivers of Uttarakhand have been done and fingerlings are released in their natural habitat to augment fish production.
Seed production of Labeo gonius
The technology for seed production of L.gonius has been developed under NATP for the stocking of reservoirs in addition to self recruitment for increasing the production potential of reservoirs in Uttarakhand.
