Marginal rise in fish landing at Chilika

The overall fish landing, including prawns and crabs, at Chilika, Asia’s largest brackish water lake, has marginally increased from 10,051 tonnes to 10,702 tonnes in 2008-09.

The fish landing at Chilika lake stood at 9,956 tonnes in 2006-07. Chilika lake, with average water spread area of 906 sq km in summer and 1165 sq km in the monsoon. is the main source of brackish water fish in the state.

The fish landing at Chilika could be increased due to the ongoing technical cooperation project being taken up by the Chilika Development Authority (CDA) in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), said Sudarshan Panda, chief executive, CDA. The technical cooperation project was actually implemented in the lake in 2007-08 and will be closed in October this year. CDA had signed the MoU (memorandum of understanding) with JICA in October 2006. One of the components of the projects was fisheries resources management wherein a scientific study was taken on habitat and migration of fish to help the fishermen depending on the Chilika lake.