Kochi-headquartered Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) is to mark its 75th year with a year-long celebration campaign.
Established in 1947, CMFRI has played a pivotal role in stewarding India’s marine fishery resources development since its inception. Joining the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in 1967, it has grown significantly in size and stature as a leading tropical marine fisheries research hub over the past seven and a half decades.
At a recent Foundation Day celebration, ICAR Deputy Director General, Dr J K Jena, urged CMFRI scientists to prioritise their research focus in accordance with the urgent needs of society and the nation.
“The central government is focusing on strengthening mariculture based alternative livelihood options like seaweed farming, marine ornamental fish culture etc. This would offer better livelihood options to the coastal communities and thereby support the country’s economy,” he said.
CMFRI Director, Dr A Gopalakrishnan, advised that the institute would broaden its objectives by diversifying towards potentially rewarding arenas such as mariculture, genetic and biotechnological applications.
Keeping tabs of the changes in the sector, research on climate change and bioprospecting would also be strengthened, he said.
Elaborating on the future plans of the institute, Gopalakrishnan said, “Given that mariculture is going to be a game changer in ensuring future fish production and also in providing income and employment security for coastal fishers, the CMFRI will focus on precision mariculture with the aid of smart tools and automation with artificial intelligence (AI).”
Additionally, a number of emerging areas of importance include marine environment management, marine biodiversity research, marine spatial planning, species identification and description, marine pollution research, fish disease diagnosis and control, resource monitoring and assessment, socioeconomics and so on, he added.
