Pandugappa a profitable alternative for aqua ryots

Nellore: Asian Sea bass (Pandugappa fish) production has become a viable option for farmers in the district, who reduced area of shrimp after the white spot syndrome and Eosinophilia-Myalgia Syndrome (EMS) have been highly impacting the yield. 

Fisheries Department also encouraging Nellore farmers to cultivate Pandugappa for better profitability which is also called Barramundi or Giant Perch fish that grows in brackish water. 

Sea bass, carnivorous in nature, grows in marine, freshwater and brackish water. It relies on small fish for its existence as part of food chain. Aquaculture of this species had started in the 1970s in Thailand, and rapidly spread throughout southeast Asia.

It has huge demand in Mumbai market at Rs 350 per kg. In fact, Tamil Nadu stands first in the cultivation. It is being encouraged by Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Aquaculture, a society under Marine Products and Export Development Authority (MPEDA). Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture has been promoting the variety.

Asian sea bass is being produced in a quarantined parent stock in bio–secure rearing systems and the seed will be supplied to the certified farmers after providing proper training to them on methods of cultivation in brackish water in cage culture. 

Interestingly, the fish grows in an environment of 8 ppt salinity level. An official from the Fisheries Department said they were encouraging farmers to cultivate the crop without using much antibiotics and other chemicals. Officials are also promoting the fish after maintaining required salinity and in net cages in the ponds for demo purpose. 

The fish grows extensively in brackish water and it comes to yield between 7 months and one year. The price of the crop decides on its size similar to prawn.

Aqua farmers are planning to import the variety from Australia and still there are regulations on the activity due to possible unknown diseases and impact on local fishing. The fish cultivation has been encouraged hugely in Krishna district as the variety survives vividly in sea, rivers and also in ponds. Now, many parts of coastal mandals are cultivating the fish.