Mangaluru: minister for fisheries, ports and inland water transport S Angara has directed fisheries department officials and the College of Fisheries, to focus on the revival of murrel culture in Kannada,
Dr Shivakumar Magada, dean, College of Fisheries, Mangaluru, said the breeding of ‘Channa marulius’ popular as ‘madanji’ in Tulu and ‘kuchu’, ‘korava’, ‘kandu’ in Kannada and ‘Channa striatus’ known as ‘malenji’ ‘ in Tulu, have been planned.
“Murrels or snake-head fish are freshwater fish that are tasty and high in nutrients. It is believed they have medicinal value. Available in abundance in the past, their population in the region has reduced due to pollution and other factors. Minister Angara insisted that the college take up the breeding program and promote its culture in all small waterbodies. Most farmers have farm ponds well suited for murrel culture, and can also be an additional source of income,” he said.
“Murrel is one of the indigenous air-breathing fish. It can even survive in lower dissolved oxygen levels. While it is the state fish of Telangana, people prefer murrel over any other fish in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Haryana, Bihar and the North-Eastern region. Karnataka Veterinary, Animal and Fisheries Sciences University has already initiated its breeding program at the Fisheries Research and Information Centre, Hesaraghatta, led by Dr Manjappa N. The center has already collected sufficient brood stocks, and the first official breeding program will be initiated by the end of May. The project worth Rs 1 crore is supported by the department of fisheries,” Dr Magada said.
“We have also been directed to work on getting GI Tag for the Dakshina Kannada murrel. The cost of production is around Rs 250-Rs 280 per kilogram, while the market price is around Rs 450-600 per kilogram, as against the market price of about Rs 150-Rs 200 for other freshwater fish varieties. There is a data deficiency in terms of estimated production in India,” he said.
A team of Indian scientists, including Dr Magada, had visited Vietnam to study murrel farming and its technology in 2018. Also, a proposal for the breeding of karimeen led by Dr Rajanna, has been submitted to the fisheries department, after Angara insisted on taking up the breeding and promotion of karimeen, a fish popular in Kerala.
Dr Shivakumar Magada, dean, College of Fisheries, Mangaluru, said the breeding of ‘Channa marulius’ popular as ‘madanji’ in Tulu and ‘kuchu’, ‘korava’, ‘kandu’ in Kannada and ‘Channa striatus’ known as ‘malenji’ ‘ in Tulu, have been planned.
“Murrels or snake-head fish are freshwater fish that are tasty and high in nutrients. It is believed they have medicinal value. Available in abundance in the past, their population in the region has reduced due to pollution and other factors. Minister Angara insisted that the college take up the breeding program and promote its culture in all small waterbodies. Most farmers have farm ponds well suited for murrel culture, and can also be an additional source of income,” he said.
“Murrel is one of the indigenous air-breathing fish. It can even survive in lower dissolved oxygen levels. While it is the state fish of Telangana, people prefer murrel over any other fish in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Haryana, Bihar and the North-Eastern region. Karnataka Veterinary, Animal and Fisheries Sciences University has already initiated its breeding program at the Fisheries Research and Information Centre, Hesaraghatta, led by Dr Manjappa N. The center has already collected sufficient brood stocks, and the first official breeding program will be initiated by the end of May. The project worth Rs 1 crore is supported by the department of fisheries,” Dr Magada said.
“We have also been directed to work on getting GI Tag for the Dakshina Kannada murrel. The cost of production is around Rs 250-Rs 280 per kilogram, while the market price is around Rs 450-600 per kilogram, as against the market price of about Rs 150-Rs 200 for other freshwater fish varieties. There is a data deficiency in terms of estimated production in India,” he said.
A team of Indian scientists, including Dr Magada, had visited Vietnam to study murrel farming and its technology in 2018. Also, a proposal for the breeding of karimeen led by Dr Rajanna, has been submitted to the fisheries department, after Angara insisted on taking up the breeding and promotion of karimeen, a fish popular in Kerala.
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