A three-day capacity building programme in Biofloc-based Aquaculture (BFAQ) was conducted at the College of Fisheries, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana. The event saw participation from over 120 individuals across five districts of Punjab, including 70 rural women.
Training Objectives and Curriculum
The training programme was tailored to apprise beginners with the basics of biofloc aquaculture technology. It aimed to equip participants with the required technical expertise for establishing indoor and outdoor biofloc aquaculture systems successfully. The curriculum covered a wide range of topics, including setting up biofloc units, selecting suitable species, producing and managing biofloc, configuring biosecurity, operating machinery, testing water quality, designing feeding regimes, managing aquatic animal health, and recycling waste.
Support from Government Scheme
The Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) of the Department of Fisheries, Government of India, is promoting this technology in different states. Biofloc technology is water-efficient, requiring only 10-15% of water per kg of fish production compared to traditional aquaculture practices. The capacity building resource centre for intensive aquaculture technologies, established under the scheme, is emerging as an asset to cater to the training needs of regional stakeholders.
Expert Insights
Dr. Meera D Ansal, College Dean, stated that the centre is playing a vital role in the sustainable expansion of intensive aquaculture technologies like this programme, along with the recirculatory aquaculture system (RAS) in Punjab and its neighbouring north-western states.
Programme Structure
Principal Scientist Dr. Vaneet Inder Kaur coordinated the training programme. It included two days of off-campus technical sessions at the demonstration farm-cum-training centre of the Department of Fisheries in Ena Khera village, Sri Muktsar Sahib, and one day of on-campus practical sessions at the centre.
