Rural Fisheries Work Experience programme for BFSc students from KUFOS, Kochi

    Rural Fisheries Work Experience programme (RFWE) designed by the fisheries universities of the country focuses on the exposure to farms/fields/natural ecosystems/technologies in the field of fisheries and agriculture sectors for students pursuing their final year Bachelor of Fisheries Science (BFSc) programme. The Institute organized a twelve days RFWE programme for five final year BFSc students (3 girls, one student from ST category) from Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies, Kochi, Kerala from 20th to 31st May 2025. At the institute, the students were exposed to fisheries section field units (wet laboratory, pond culture, hatchery sections and integrated pond culture systems), Integrated farming systems (low land and upland), Animal science units, Mango and cashew germplasm blocks, Soil and Water conservation units, Agro- meteorology station, Agro-eco-tourism unit and rice fields. They were given hands-on training on pond fish culture, water quality and plankton analysis, cage culture, ornamental fish culture, value added fish products, food and feeding biology of fish, and biodiversity analysis software, conventional morphometry, truss morphometry and QGIS software. They were also given awareness on the research actively carried out in the institute laboratories such as Animal Health, Soil Science and Crop Science. In addition to this, field exposure visits were arranged in farmer’s fields/fish markets/fishermen villages/ natural ecosystems such as cage culture farm in Akhada and Curtorim, Khazan agro-ecosystem in Merces, Ornamental fish culture unit in Parra, and vertical mud crab culture with Recirculatory system at Cuncolim. The RFWE programme was co- ordinated by Dr. Sreekanth G.B., Scientist (Fisheries resource management) and Shri Trivesh Suresh Mayekar, Scientist (Fish genetics and breeding).