The pressing need to increase the supply of animal protein has prompted many countries to seek ways to augment the production of fish through the development of fish culture.
A major factor that constrains the speed and extent of development of fish culture has been the availability of “fish seed”, i.e., fry and fingerlings. A common practice in the past has been to collect them from their natural sources: streams, estuaries, coastal areas, etc. Their occurrence here is limited by the spawning period of the fish (usually short), meteorological and water conditions, and their vulnerability to predation. Natural fry grounds are often distant from fish farming localities, and apart from high expenses involved in transportation, there is often heavy mortality of larvae and fry. At the same time, fish seed collected from natural habitat is usually composed of several species, some of which are unsuitable for culture, and as yet there is no practical method for separating the desirable ones from the others. Furthermore, water pollution due to rapid industrial development and the increasing use of insecticides may, in the not too distant future, deplete natural spawning stocks and cause heavy mortality to larvae and fry.
To ensure a reliable supply of quality fish seed, various techniques have been developed for breeding pond fish under controlled conditions. Some are simple ones requiring only elementary changes in environmental conditions; others require sexual segregation of mature specimens or substrates for attachment of eggs. The most sophisticated technique is the use of hormones to induce spawning.
The technique of induced spawning by hypophysation of cultivated fishes is still in its early stage of development. It has had various degrees of success in different countries and when applied to different species of fish.
The Indo-Pacific Fisheries Council (IPFC) at its Eleventh Session, Kuala Lumpur, October 1964, passed a resolution requesting the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to organize a regional training centre on induced spawning of fish. Due to prior commitments and shortage of staff in FAO, it was impossible to implement this resolution earlier. At the Twelfth Session of the IPFC in Honolulu in October 1966, the urgency of organizing a seminar on this subject was stressed, and the need for technical assistance in this field was pointed out by governmental authorities in the IPFC region. Provision was finally obtained for a seminar on this subject in 1969 as part of the Regional Programme under the United Nations Development Programme (Technical Assistance) UNDP/TA.
The terms of reference were to provide up-to-date knowledge and skill on induced breeding of fish in general and the theory and practice of hypophysation in particular; to share experiences - both successes and failures - of the work on this subject carried out by the various countries, and to identify and discuss the important problems that need to be solved.
The participants were expected to obtain the knowledge and practical skill which would help them (i) to develop large-scale production of quality fish seed, especially through the training of extension workers and fish farm operators, and (ii) to organize and conduct experiments to improve techniques and develop better and higher yielding varieties.
The Seminar, sponsored and organized by FAO under the UNDP/TA, in collaboration with the host, the Government of India, was held from 15 July to 18 August 1969. Three sessions were held: the first at the Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute (C.I.F.R.I.), Barrackpore, West Bengal, from 15 to 18 July; the second at Bhubaneswar/Cuttack, from 19 July to 8 August; and the third at the Central Institute of Fisheries Education (C.I.F.E.), Bombay, from 10 to 18 August. During the second session, lectures and discussions in English (the working language of the Seminar) were held at the: Academy Council Hall of the University of Orissa, Conference Room of the Orissa State Fisheries Department at Cuttack, and Conference Room of the C.I.F.R.I. Sub-station at Cuttack.
The major part of the demonstrations, and practical laboratory and field work, was conducted at the C.I.F.R.I. Sub-station, Cuttack, and its fish farm at Killa.
The Government of India appointed Dr. V.G. Jhingran of the C.I.F.R.I., Barrackpore, as Director of the Seminar, while FAO designated Dr. S.W. Ling, FAO/UNDP Regional Fish Culturist for Asia and the Far East as Co-director.
Four organizing committees were established by the host government: one central committee in New Delhi and three local ones in West Bengal, Orissa and Bombay. Their composition was as follows:
| 1. Central Organizing Committee (New Delhi) | ||
| Chairman | - | Dr. B.P. Pal, Director General, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Krishi Bhavan, New Delhi. |
| Co-Chairman | - | Dr. K.K. Iya, Deputy Director General (AS), Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Krishi Bhavan, New Delhi. |
| Deputy Chairman | - | Shri K.P.A. Menon, Secretary, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Krishi Bhavan, New Delhi. |
| Members | - | Shri G.N. Mitra, Joint Commissioner (Fisheries), Department of Agriculture, Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Community Development and Cooperation, Government of India, Krishi Bhavan, New Delhi. |
| Dr. C.V. Kulkarni, Director of Fisheries, Government of Maharashtra and Chairman of the local organizing committee for Maharashtra for the FAO/UNDP Seminar, Taraporevala Aquarium, Bombay. | ||
| Shri M.K. Kar Gupta, Director of Fisheries, Government of West Bengal, and Chairman of the local organizing committee for West Bengal for the FAO/UNDP Seminar, 60/A Colootola Street, Calcutta-1. | ||
| Shri P. Misra, Director of Fisheries, Government of Orissa, and Chairman of the local organizing committee for Orissa for the FAO/UNDP Seminar, Jobra, Cuttack-1. | ||
| Dr. V.G. Jhingran, Director, Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, and Director of the FAO/UNDP Seminar, Barrackpore, West Bengal. | ||
| Shri K.H. Alikunhi, Director, Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Kakori Camp, Post Box No. 7392, Versova, Bombay-58 (AS). | ||
| Shri Kamla Prasad, Deputy Secretary (FA), Department of Agriculture, Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Community Development and Cooperation, Government of India, Krishi Bhavan, New Delhi. | ||
| Smt. P.P. Trivedi, Addl. Secretary (E), Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Krishi Bhavan, New Delhi. | ||
| Member-Convenor | - | Dr. R. Raghu Prasad, Deputy Commissioner (Fisheries), Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Krishi Bhavan, New Delhi. |
| 2. West Bengal (Calcutta) Organizing Committee | ||
| Chairman | - | Shri M.K. Kar Gupta, Director of Fisheries, Government of West Bengal, 60/A Colootola Street, Calcutta-1. |
| Members | - | Shri S.N. Ghosh, Deputy Director of Fisheries, Government of West Bengal, 60/A Colootola Street, Calcutta-1. |
| Dr. V. Gopalakrishnan, Officer-in-charge, Estuarine Division of the Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Barrackpore, West Bengal. | ||
| Member-Convenor | - | Dr. V.G. Jhingran, Director, Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Barrackpore, West Bengal. |
| 3. Orissa (Bhubaneswar/Cuttack) Organizing Committee | ||
| Chairman | - | Shri P. Misra, Director of Fisheries, Government of Orissa, Jobra, Cuttack-1. |
| Members | - | Shri J.C. Patro, Deputy Director of Fisheries, Government of Orissa, Jobra, Cuttack-1. |
| Dr. M.T. Philipose, Officer-in-charge, Central Inland Fisheries Research Sub-station, 19 Cantonment Road, Cuttack-1. | ||
| Member-Convenor | - | Dr. V.G. Jhingran, Director, Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Barrackpore, West Bengal. |
| 4. Maharashtra (Bombay) Organizing Committee | ||
| Chairman | - | Dr. C.V. Kulkarni, Director of Fisheries, Government of Maharashtra, Taraporevala Aquarium, Bombay. |
| Members | - | Dr. H.G. Kewalramani, Senior Research Officer, Directorate of Fisheries, Government of Maharashtra, Taraporevala Aquarium, Bombay. |
| Shri N.K. Velankar, Professor of Fisheries Technology, Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Kakori Camp, P.B. No. 7392, Versova, Bombay-58. | ||
| Dr. V.G. Jhingran, Director, Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Barrackpore, West Bengal. | ||
| Member-Convenor | - | Shri K.H. Alikunhi, Director, Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Kakori Camp, P.B. No.7392, Joy Prakash Road, Versova, Bombay-58. |
The opening ceremony of the first session was held in Barrackpore, 16 July in the auditorium of the C.I.F.R.I. After the invocation song, a welcome was extended by Shri K.P.A. Menon, Secretary. I.C.A.R., New Delhi, followed by messages from: Mr. Roy I. Jackson, Assistant Director General (Fisheries), FAO, Rome; Mr. Ahsan-ud-Din, FAO Regional Representative for Asia and the Far East, Bangkok; Mr. Cedric Day, Deputy FAO Regional Representative, New Delhi, and Dr. T.V.R. Pillay, Chief, Fish Culture Section, Inland Fishery Resources Branch, FAO, Rome, and the introduction of lecturers and participants by Dr. S.W. Ling. An inaugural speech was delivered by Shri D.N. Sinha, Acting Governor of West Bengal, followed by a presidential address by Shri Provash Chandra Roy, Hon. Minister for Fisheries, West Bengal.
The second session was held at Bhubaneswar/Cuttack on 19 July. The welcome address was given by Shri M.P. Mishra, Minister for Fisheries, Orissa, and the presidential speech by Shri R.N. Singh Deo, Chief Minister, Orissa.
The third session was inaugurated at the Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Bombay, on 11 August by Shri H.G. Vartak, Minister for Fisheries, Food, Civil Supplies and Khar Lands, Government of Maharashtra State.
The closing ceremony of the Seminar took place at C.I.F.E., Bombay, on 18 August. After the invocation, an address was given by Shri K.P.A. Menon, followed by observations on the Seminar by Dr. S.W. Ling, and Mrs. Medina M. Delmendo, on behalf of the participants. The farewell speech was delivered by Dr. P.V. Cherian, Governor of Maharashtra, who also distributed certificates to the participants.
Twenty-one members, representing ten countries, attended the Seminar: India - 3, Indonesia - 3, Korea - 1, Malaysia - 2, Nepal - 1, Pakistan - 2, Philippines - 4, Thailand - 2, United Kingdom - 2 (1 from Hong Kong and 1 from the Tropical Fish Culture Research Institute, Malacca, Malaysia), and Vietnam - 1. All of the participants were engaged in active fish culture work in their home countries, and many of them had a considerable amount of experience in fish breeding.
Four observers also attended: one from the Government of Uttar Pradesh, one from the Gauhati University of Assam, and two from the C.I.F.R.I. Sub-station, Allahabad. (See Appendix 1 for list of participants).
