Port Blair, July 1: The Lt Governor, Lt Gen (Retd) Bhopinder Singh, PVSM, AVSM has approved allotment of lands for construction of a state of the art Multi-Species Marine Finfish Hatchery and Domestication of Tiger Shrimp project by M/s Rajiv Gandhi  Centre for Aquaculture (MPEDA), Ministry of Commerce & Industries, GoI at Rangachang and Bimblitan village under South Andaman District.

The setting of the multi-species marine finfish hatchery will generate employment opportunities to the local unemployed youth in these Islands as local skilled fishermen of the Islands will be engaged in the collection of groupers for brood fish production which will enhance their source of income. As part of the captive brood fish production, employment will also be generated by engaging skilled & un-skilled workers for sea cage rafts. Cages will be fabricated by locally available materials using skilled workers of the Islands which will also benefit the local entrepreneurs. The hatchery production of grouper fingerlings will also provide employment to the skilled youth of the Islands. The technology is locally relevant and can be adapted by local people, who are interested in cage farming groupers.

In addition, MPEDA will also take up domestication of Tiger Shrimp project. The project facility will help retain the requisite bio-security and will also provide dormitory facility for about 30 skilled workers recruited from various parts of the Islands. Considering the bio-security advantage of the Islands, several entrepreneurs will evince keen interest to establish multiplication centre in the islands so that they can produce and supply good quality seeds to the shrimp farmers thereby generating more employment opportunities in the Islands. Both the projects are likely to be completed within one year.