April 16, 2007

French-financed shrimp hatchery nears completion in India
 

A French-financed project to develop a fresh water prawn seed hatchery at Umarwada in India's Bharuch district in the state of Gujarat is reportedly close to completion.

The project is financially and technically supported by the French government under the Indo-French Financial Protocol 1996.

The hatchery is expected to be able to produce 40 million pure and quality fresh water prawn seeds a year for the Bharuch district.

Under the Indo-French Financial Protocol 1996 the project was partially funded by the French government. The French government also provided the technological support.

The objective was to provide pure and quality fresh water prawn seeds to the fish farmers and reduce pressure on the natural resources of prawn seed from river sources.

Gujarat Fisheries Central Co-operative Association Ltd (GFCCL), the implementing agency, said the facility had 17 grow out ponds, 12 nursery cement cisterns, a training centre, a shrimp hatchery and a larval rearing centre.