By AM / Pics by JP & Shafiq, Team Mangalorean

Mangalore: Acknowledging the resources present in seas, director general of Indian Council of Agricultural Research(ICAR) Dr S Ayyapan advised to concentrate on the resources at sea to provide drinking water and high value bio-active compounds. He has also predicted that the fish catch in India will grow to 15-16 million tonnes by 2017 from 6 million tonnes currently.

He was speaking after inaugurating the laboratory cum office building of research centre of Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute(CMFRI) here on Friday, April 13. 'Despite the notion of fish famine, there has been a two-fold growth in fish catch at Karnataka coasts,' he said. He added that Indian agriculture was progressing.

Lamenting the lack of interest of youngsters in agriculture, he said 'villages have become old age homes.' He said that two dozen consortia platforms where colleges and industries can join hands for research will come up in the nation. He said that progressive farmers have been approved as professors in universities to train students in the field of agriculture.

Former dean of Fisheries College opined that there was a requirement for more co-operation between research institutes in the country. He also criticised the differences in data of fish catch of state government and CMFRI and said that the two agencies should 'sit together and work out.'

Vice chancellor of Karnataka Veterinary, Animal and Fisheries Sciences University Dr S S Honnappagol, deputy general of ICAR Dr B Meenakumari, director of CMFRI Dr G Syda Rao, dean of Fisheries College Dr G Syda Rao and scientist-in-charge of CMFRI Dinesh Babu were present.