Last Updated: March 12, 2024, 13:08 IST
Around 450 fish can be reared in one bio fish tank.
According to a farmer, the advantage of bio-fishing tanks is that a net can cover them to protect fish from crows and cranes.
Fisheries Department, Tamil Nadu introduced the concept of Bio Fish Tanks in 2023 which has enabled the farmers to rear fish at a low cost by the subsidised government rates. According to Local18 Tamil, some farmers were selected to set up the bio fish tanks for free of cost. A person from Thirukkanur Patti village, Sebastiyar is one of these farmers. The village is located in the Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu.
Sebastiyar talked about the specifications of this business and for which group of people, the business model of using a bio fish tank benefits the most. Sebastiyar said that the Fisheries Department had set up a bio fish tank in his house with the help of Tarpaulin. According to him, he has also been provided with adequate training to use this tank. He added that the main purpose of this tank is to make judicious use of water for the growth of fish.
Is setting up a bio-fish tank profitable for anyone? Sebastiyar didn’t agree to it but said that it can certainly work for people who are engaged in small-scale businesses. Describing the additional details of the fish tank business, he said that around 450 fish can be reared in one tank. He, however, can rear 1000 fish at a time with the help of 2 bio fish tanks. Also, not every type of fish can be grown in the bio fish tanks. Sebastiyar added that only Tilapia or Jalebi Fish and lobster can be reared in these tanks. Tilapia is rich in proteins, fatty acids, calcium, and other essential nutrients. He feels that this is an economically better method in comparison to harnessing large amounts of water in a pond or any other body to rear many types of fish with no experience.
According to Sebastiyar, another advantage of using bio fish tanks is that a net can cover them to protect fish from crows and cranes. This system is not practically feasible in a water body. He said that he is engaged in the fish-selling business the whole week and people from his and other surrounding villages arrive at his residence to purchase the fish. To avail of the benefits of this scheme, people need to visit the Fisheries Department office in their respective districts. They will ask for some necessary documents and then issue a 40 per cent subsidy for men and a 60 per cent subsidy for women.
