Name of Beneficiary: Mr C. Arjun
Phone No. : 9933247239
Category (SC/ST/ OBC/ General) : General
District: :South Andaman
State: Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Business/ Fisheries activity: Ornamental fish retail unit
Name of Establishment (If any). : SSM Aquarium, Port Blair
Year of establishment : 2021
Subsidy amount (if any) and Total project cost: Nil
Funding agency (if any): Self
Subsidy amount (if any) and Total project cost): Self-funding, Rs. 200000 INR
Scheme’s name: Nil
Name of the institution that provided the technological intervention: ICAR- Central Island Agricultural Research Institute, Port Blair
Technological intervention:Quarantine, best management practices, disease treatment and breeding of ornamental fishes
Annual production : 120,000 fishes
Annual turnover : 840000
Employment generated : 2nos
The beneficiary Mr. C. Arjun who is a resident of Port Blair, Andaman Islands started the first retail shop dealing with 50 varieties of ornamental fishes in the year 2021. He imported fishes from Chennai market and sold the fishes from his retail shop. During his initial phase of the start-up, the imported fish stock faced 70–80% mortality due to improper management practices, lack of quarantine and knowledge on disease prevention and treatment. Team of scientists from ICAR-CIARI namely Mr. J. Praveenraj, Dr. K. Saravanan & Dr. R. Kiruba-Sankar provided technical knowledge on the quarantine of new fishes, preparation of aquarium water, disease diagnosis and treatment. After following the technical advice provided by ICAR-CIARI, Mr. C. Arjun could save 95% of the newly imported stock from mortality due which occurred due to stress and disease. Mr. C. Arjun also started aquarium fish breeding by the training offered by ICAR-CIARI, and now he could produce live bearers and Betta fishes, which further strengthens his income status. Through the funding of NABARD, Port Blair, a hatchery was also established at ICAR-CIARI, Port Blair, which served as a back bone for C. Arjun in providing quality broodstocks for his fish breeding activity.
Mr. C. Arjun received training from ICAR-CIARI on the aspects of best management practices in aquariculture, pre- and post-quarantine, disease diagnosis and treatment. The imported fishes receive a treatment of potassium permanganate and sodium chloride followed by commercial medicine to mitigate stress and external pathogens. The pre-treated fishes are kept in the quarantine tank to watch for any infection or parasites. Further, a combination of medicines is used to treat bacterial and parasitic infection. The healthy fishes are then provided to customers.
Mr. C. Arjun adoption of proper quarantining and best management practices provides healthy and disease free fishes to the aquarium hobbyists which greatly encourages and promotes new people in the Indian ornamental fish trade. Mr. C. Arjun also received best aquaculture practioner award from ICAR-CIARI.
Contributors : J Praveenraj, K Saravanan, R K Kirubasankar, D karunakaran, S K Zamir Ahmed
