GI Model cage: A commercialized product aiming enhancement of fish production from inland waters for livelihood improvement and doubling farmers' income

Abstract

Development of fisheries in reservoirs and wetlands has attracted the interest of Govt. to augment fish production following different enhancement programs. Accordingly, different kinds of resource enhancements like culture-based capture fishery approaches and techniques were tested and adopted in different types of such water bodies aiming at improving the income of the fishers and rural communities around the lakes. Although, effective increases in fish production through the protection of natural fish resources and stocking of artificially reared seeds in many reservoirs can be
achieved which depend primarily and entirely on natural productivity. The fish yield is often influenced by managerial factors coupled with innate ecological conditions of such water bodies as well as the ability of the fishers in harvesting the catches especially in weed choked reservoirs. Moreover, the approaches become much less effective in larger water bodies. In this
backdrop, as an enhancement tool, culture of fishes and prawns in net cages has drawn much attention in the recent past not only in Asia but also in the other parts of the world.