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ICAR-CMFRI Organises Two-Day Workshop On Natural Biopolymers

The Marine Biotechnology, Fish Nutrition and Health Division of the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (ICAR-CMFRI) organised a two-day workshop on ‘Natural Biopolymers and their Nanoparticle Conjugates: Potential Leads as Pharmaceutical Agents’ on 15-16 June, 2023 in Kochi.The workshop observed that the demand for nutraceutical products has increased in recent years resulting in a remarkable growth of the sector with a compound annual growth of 20 percent over the past three years. This trend is driven by increasing health awareness among the public and a growing emphasis on preventive healthcare. Projections indicate that the nutraceutical market in India will expand from an estimated $4 billion to an impressive $18 billion by the end of 2025, according to experts. The workshop was organised under the Scientific Social Responsibility (SSR) Policy. The experts also viewed that the increasing demand for nutraceutical products is an indication of the need to utilise untapped natural resources.While delivering the inaugural address, ICAR-CMFRI Director Dr A Gopalakrishnan stressed the urgent need to explore marine organismsm to unearth novel bioactive compounds capable of addressing unmet medical needs and propelling the frontiers of healthcare. 

“ICAR-CMFRI’s nutraceutical products from the seaweeds to treat various lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, obesity, arthritis, hypertension, thyroid, etc. have received an overwhelming response from the public. The institute will continue to explore the medicinal prospects of such marine organisms”, he said, adding that efforts are required to tap the immense potential of natural resources like marine organisms for the development of innovative pharmaceutical products.Dr Krupesha Sharma S R, Head of MBFNH Division presided over the meet. The workshop was aimed at sharing the latest information and technologies related to the isolation, characterisation and development of natural biopolymers with pharmaceutical applications, said Dr Kajal Chakraborty, Principal Scientist and coordinator of the workshop.According to him, the development of value-added products from marine organisms such as seaweeds not only provide health benefits to consumers but also create opportunities for the downstream value chain. Natural biopolymers such as proteins, polysaccharides and nucleic acids hold great promise in the field of medicine, he added.Scientists, researchers and faculties from various institutes and universities attended the workshop which set the stage for formulating strategies for further research in the field. 

Sea ranching of the green tiger shrimp Penaeus semisulcatus under the Central Sector Scheme component of

'Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana' (PMMSY)

A total of 6.8 million green tiger shrimp seeds (PL 35) were sea ranched at Mandapam, Koyilvadi (Palk Bay) on 7th September, 2023 under the Project entitled "Sea ranching of Green tiger shrimp (Penaeus semisulcatus) Post Larvae (PL) in Palk Bay and Gulf of Mannar, Tamil Nadu" funded by the Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Govt. of India under the Central Sector Scheme component of the PMMSY. The shrimp seeds were released by Shri. M. Sivakumar, Assistant Director of Fisheries and Fisherman Welfare, Mandapam, Fishermen Association Leaders in the presence of Dr. K. Vinod, Head, Dr. G. Tamilmani, Principal Investigator of the project, Scientists and staff of Mandapam Regional Centre of ICAR-CMFRI. The fishermen thanked the Government of India and ICAR-CMFRI for such an initiative and expressed that this activity will be helpful in replenishing and enhancing the green tiger shrimp stock in the wild. A total of 75.34 million green tiger shrimp seeds were sea ranched in Palk Bay and Gulf of Mannar since the inception of the Project (February, 2022). The sea ranching programme was coordinated by Dr. B. Johnson, Senior Scientist of the Centre.

Sea ranching of the green tiger shrimp Penaeus semisulcatus under the Central Sector Scheme component of

'Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana' (PMMSY)

A total of 1.6 million green tiger shrimp seeds (PL 20) were sea ranched at Maraikayarpattianam (Gulf of Mannar) on 23rd June, 2023 under the Project entitled "Sea ranching of Green tiger shrimp (Penaeus semisulcatus) Post Larvae (PL) in Palk Bay and Gulf of Mannar, Tamil Nadu" funded by Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Govt. of India under the Central Sector Scheme component of the PMMSY. The shrimp seeds were released by the staff of Mandapam Regional Centre of ICAR-CMFRI in the presence of Dr. G. Tamilmani, Head-in-Charge & Principal Investigator of the project. A total of 58.24 million green tiger shrimp seeds were sea ranched in Palk Bay and Gulf of Mannar since the initiation of the Project (February, 2022). The sea ranching programme was coordinated by Dr. B. Johnson, Senior Scientist of the Centre.

Hindi Workshop organised at Karwar Regional Station of ICAR-CMFRI

As a part of the Official Language Implementation, a workshop was organized by Karwar Regional Station of ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (ICAR-CMFRI) on 03.07.2023 on the topic "Common Hindi words used in office premises”. Shri Santhosh Seti, Hindi Teacher, Hindu School, Karwar delivered the lecture. Six Scientists and 14 employees of the station actively participated in the workshop. The programme was chaired by Dr. Prathibha Rohit, Head-in-Charge and Chairman, OLIC of Karwar Regional Station