CMFRI aims to develop online platform to benefit fish

In a major initiative to benefit fish producers, consumers, traders and processors in the country, the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) has launched a research project for developing an online platform in order to facilitate effective fish marketing systems.

The project aims to develop a fish market information system, fish price information and facilitate an e-auctioning system trade platform for commercially important fish species, a CMFRI release said here Monday.

As many as 1,500 fish markets, including landing centres, wholesale markets, retail markets and aquaculture production markets, across the country will be selected for implementing the programme, it said.

The project on fish market and price information system is funded by the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB), Hyderabad.

In the first phase, information on 500 fish markets from seven coastal states will be collected.

The CMFRI will collect information of these markets and report the weekly fish prices being sold out there through electronic tabs and will develop an online database.

Entire dimensions of the fish markets such as geographical location, size, timing, access to transport, arrivals and disposals, species traded, infrastructure facility and average realised minimum and maximum price of around 150 fishes will be available on the websites of the NFDB www.nfdb.gov.in and CMFRI (www.cmfri.org) from October 2019 onwards, the release said.

Later, a separate portal will be developed to showcase the market information online.

A total of 50 markets will be covered in Kerala in the initial stage.

On occasion of the launch of the programme at the CMFRI on Monday, an orientation-cum-awareness meet was held to train representatives from selected fish markets across Kerala.

Shyam S Salim, Principal Scientist at the Socio-Economic Division of the CMFRI is the Principal Investigator of the research project.