According to The Hindu, the State Fisheries Department, during 2008-09 season, plans to introduce one more species to the inventory of aquaculture.
The Sea bass (Lates calcarifer) is a deep sea variety of fish. They are group hunters and carnivores and are found throughout the South-East Asian region. They can be cultivated in saline brackish waters.
The department has devised a cage for culture of the Sea bass, reports The Hindu. Built in aluminium, the cage is covered with net and will be placed in 10 feet-deep water in the brackish water pools. The water is then enriched with nutrients and 15-day-old fingerlings of Sea bass are introduced into the cage.
Outlining the scope for the new species, Director of State Fisheries Department H.S. Veerappa Gowda told The Hindu that “the Sea bass is new in India though it has been cultivated in South East countries where the Sea bass shoals are found in abundance”.
The Fisheries Department has the means and knowledge to cultivate the species in brackish waters of the coastal areas.
The breed stock is available in India and the department is also trying to create facilities for a hatchery in various vantage points along the coast, especially Mangalore and Udupi.