FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS(FAQ)

1. What are the various arms of the Department of Fisheries in Kerala?
Kerala State Co-operative Federation for Fisheries Development Ltd (Matsyafed), Agency for the Development of Aquaculture in Kerala (ADAK), Kerala Fishermen Welfare Fund Board (KFWFB), Kerala State Fisheries Resource Management Society (FIRMA), Marine Enforcement & Vigilance and National Institute Fisheries Administration (NIFAM) are the various arms of the Department of Fisheries.

2. Where is the head office of Matsyafed and who is the Registrar of Matsyafed?
The head office is at Kuravankonam, Kowdiar P.O., Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. Director of Fisheries is the Registrar of Matsyafed.

3. Who is the executive head of ADAK and where is the head office of ADAK?
Executive Director is the head. The head office is at Vazhuthakkadu, Thiruvananthapuram.

4. Who is the executive head of KFWFB and where is the head office?
Commissioner is the executive head and the head office is at Thrissur.

5. Who is the executive head of FIRMA and where is the head office?
Executive Director is the head and the head office is at Thiruvananthapuram.

6. Who is the head of Marine Enforcement and where is the head office?
Superintendent of Police is the Head and the head office is at Thiruvananthapuram.

7. Who is the head of NIFAM and where is this institute?
Director, NIFAM is the head and the institute is at Ernakulam

8. How many fishing villages are present in the marine sector of Kerala?
222 fishing villages

9. How many fishing villages are present in the inland sector of Kerala?
113 fishing villages.

10. Give the sector wise fishermen population of Kerala in 2003-04?
The population was 2.51 lakhs in the inland sector and 8.44 lakhs in the marine sector. The total population was 10.95 lakhs.

11. What was the number of active fishermen in Kerala in the year 2003-04?
The number of active fishermen was 1.79 lakhs and 0.41 lakh in the inland sector.

12. What much percent of fishermen population is below poverty line?
61% of fishermen population is below poverty line.

13. What are the districts in Kerala without coastline?
Palakkad, Pathanamthitta, Wayanad and Idukki are the districts without coastline.

14.What is the percentage of fisherfolk population having own houses?
89% of fisher folk population have own houses.

15. What are the National Fish Seed Farms of the Department of Fisheries?
Fisheries Department has two National Fish Seed Farms (NFSF) – one at Malampuzha in Palakkad District and the other at Kaviyoor near Thiruvalla in Pathanamthitta District.

16. What are the fish seeds produced in the above fish seed farms?
Fish seeds are produced through induced breeding using pituitary extract or ovaprim. Fingerlings of carp fishes such as catla, rohu, mrigal, labeo, cyprinus and grass carp are distributed from these fish seed farms.

17. What is KRFDP?
It is the short form of Kerala Reservoir Fisheries Development Project.

18. Does the Fisheries Department have a shrimp hatchery?
Yes. The Department has a shrimp hatchery in the name Regional Shrimp Hatchery at Azhikode in Thrissur District producing disease free quality shrimp post larvae. There is also one shrimp hatchery at Kollam under Brackish Water Fish Farmers Development Agencies.

19. What are Monoculture and Polyculture?
The fish culture system in which only a single species is stocked is monoculture where as in a Polyculture system two or more fish species are stocked together.

20. What is meant by Composite fish Culture?
In a pond, the surface is occupied by floating organisms like plankton, the column region with live and dead organic matter sunk from the surface and the bottom with detritus or dead organic matter. The different trophic levels of a pond can be utilized for increasing the profitability of fish culture. Composite fish culture is a polyculture system in which compatible fishes of different species having different feeding habits are selected and grown in the pond to exploit all types of food available in the different regions of the pond for maximizing fish production. The aquatic vegetation, plankton, decayed organisms and other debris available in the surface, middle and bottom water layers are utilized as feed by the stocked surface, middle and bottom dwelling fishes. Catla, rohu, mrigal, cyprinus, grass carp and silver carp are highly considerable for composite fish culture.

21. Give the difference between cage culture and pen culture?
Cage is a fixed/floating structure made of wooden frame and nylon netting and installed in running or stable water bodies.

Pen is a large closed enclosure in reservoirs, lakes or in sea where floods/cyclones do not cause harm. Pens are erected by split bamboo, wooden, nylon netting or such other structures.