Value added fishery by-products

Protein rich foods, like seafood are gaining wide acceptability among the common public since recent past due to its easy digestibility and numerous other health benefits. Product development and value addition, functions by understanding the science behind each food and hence convert it efficiently into a new product form. This has resulted in formulation of diversified products in the global markets. Capture fisheries of Andaman and Nicobar Islands is diversified with rich resources of fish species belonging to pelagic, demersal and oceanic fishery. The fish landings in the Islands are generally utilized in fresh form for consumption whereas there are no much effort undertaken to add value to these fisheries in the form of value addition and by product development for better income and diversified fishery practices. Particularly, the women communities in the Islands can benefit from the fishery based value addition to promote their livelihood and income generation prospects. With this background information focus was laid on certain low value fishes of the island and which could be suitable for purpose of value addition. Diversified products were developed from these fisheries and training and capacity building programmes were initiated for entrepreneurship development. Further, women stakeholders of the islands have been identified as the potential entrepreneurs for the value addition process considering the interest and can serve as an alternative source of livelihood.

Benefit:The technology will help the women stakeholders of the islands in earning an alternative source of livelihood. During the fishing ban periods and off seasons, value added products will gain visibility among the common public.

Source : Contact person with Name, Designation e-mail and phone no: Dr. Deepitha R. P., Scientist, Email : deepitha.rp@icar.gov.in, Mob. 9619884667