November 9, 2018
SFDC cultivating 3 new fish varieties, to go commercial early next year
Your fish platter will soon get three new varieties. The State Fisheries Development Corporation (SFDC) has started cultivating Thai sarputi, Indian pompano and gulas tangra fish that will be commercially introduced in the markets early next year.
The SFDC officials said that the fingerlings of these three fishes have already been released in waterbodies owned by the State Government at Nalban in Kolkata, and in Goltala and Henry’s island in South 24 Parganas for cultivation.
While the gulas tangra and Thai sarputi are being cultured in the sewage-fed water of Nalban and in Goltala, the Indian Pompano is being cultured in the waterbodies of Henry’s Island.
A Thai sarputi grows for about four to six months, while the gulas tangra and Indian pompano grow for six to eight months and six to seven months, respectively.
The Thai sarputi is a substitute for the local punti fish, but is bigger in size yet cheaper. The gulas tangra is a substitute for the local tangra and the Indian pompano is a substitute for the pomfret and silver pompano.
Initially, the SFDC would start selling the fishes, both raw and cooked, from its stalls and mobile vending outlets across Kolkata. They will also be sold through the SFDC app via which people are already buying fish which is being delivered at their doorsteps.
Once the trial run is completed and the demand shoots up, the varieties would be placed at auction markets for fish vendors, who will buy them for commercial selling in retail markets.
The per kilo prices of Thai sarputi, gulas tangra and Indian pompano will be around Rs 150, Rs 180 to Rs 200 and Rs 280 to Rs 300, respectively.
