'Lot of demand, scope for freshwater fish rearing'

July 31, 2014

Bantwal, Jul 31: There are plenty of fish to be caught in Chelur in Bantwal taluk where a progressive-minded agriculturist had begun rearing fish in his backyard.

John Veigas, an agriculturist from Chelur in Bantwal taluk, has begun the unique culture of fish farming in a pond in his backyard. He is now in the process of developing the aquaculture into a successful alternative vocation.

Fresh water fish such as carps, rohu, catla and koi fish are being bred under captive conditions.

On Wednesday, a demonstration on fishing was held in the rearing pond belonging to John Veigas in the presence of Dr Ramachandra Naik, associate professor in Aquatic Environment Management at College of Fisheries, Mangalore.

The fish that were caught in the rearing pond with the help of labourers were sold at the spot.

Speaking to reporters following the demonstration, Dr Ramachandra Naik provided information on aquaculture and freshwater fish rearing.

He said that the people in the coastal region of the district and the state were fond of consuming fishes caught in the sea. However, when the ban on deep water fishing was implemented during the breeding season each year, they have to forego their consumption of fishes for few weeks. With freshwater fish rearing, it is possible to meet the demand of fish in the market all year long, he said.

He explained that it took 10 months for the fishes to attain their full growth, after which the fish would weigh upto two kgs each.

He added that there was currently a lot of scope for freshwater fish rearing. For those interested in fish rearing, training is given at the College of Fisheries in Mangalore.

The owner John Veigas also said that there was a lot of demand for the fishes he reared, especially during the fishing ban in the sea.

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Harekala Hajabba’s school introduces bilingual education

News Network

December 16,2024

In a significant milestone, the Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat Higher Primary School in Newpadpu, Harekala, has introduced a bilingual Kannada-English medium this academic year, a move spearheaded by Padma Shri awardee Harekala Hajabba. The school has so far received 13 admissions for its Class 1 bilingual program.

This initiative is part of a broader effort by the state government, which approved 38 schools across the district to launch bilingual mediums. Expressing his delight, Hajabba shared that he had been advocating for a bilingual school for years. "The bilingual medium will greatly benefit students in this region who otherwise rely on private schools. However, we currently face a shortage of classrooms. Construction of two additional classrooms is underway, and once completed, we expect higher admissions," he said.

The school had previously been permitted to introduce LKG and UKG classes in the last academic year. According to the school’s headmistress, Rajeshwari, while the pre-primary sections have seen good enrolment, the bilingual Class 1 faced challenges, securing only 13 students. She attributed this to the late notification of permission, which arrived a month after the academic year began, leading many children to enroll elsewhere.

Rajeshwari remains optimistic about the future. "We expect better admissions next academic year as awareness about bilingual education at this government school grows," she said, adding that the classroom shortage will soon be addressed.

Deputy Director of Public Instruction (DDPI) Venkatesha Subraya Patagara noted that bilingual schools across Dakshina Kannada have generally received a positive response, with some schools enrolling more than 100 students. The effort to offer bilingual education in government schools marks a step forward in providing affordable, quality education to underserved regions.

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