Mukti Chanda1, Monjit Paul1, Joydev Maity2, Gadadhar Dash3, Supriya Sen Gupta1
1Department of Zoology, Asutosh College, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
2Department of Aquaculture Management and Technology, Vidyasagar University, Midnapore, West Bengal, India.
3Department of Fish Pathology, Faculty of Fishery Science, West Bengal University of Animal and Fishery Sciences, Kolkata, India.
DOI: 10.4103/0976-9668.92311
Keeping of ornamental fish as pet is becoming a popular hobby in the world, next only to photography. About 7.2 million houses in the USA and 3.2 million in the European Union have an aquarium, and this number is increasing day by day. Ornamental fish farming is also growing to meet this demand. In India, the state of West Bengal plays the pioneer role for production of ornamental fishes. The ornamental fish trade also helps, to some extent, in improving the socioeconomic condition of rural people and in upliftment of the condition of rural women in India. A rich diversity of fish fauna, low investment in the business, cheap labor, easy distribution channel and export centers in the adjoining areas of Kolkata help the business to improve most. However, instead of a high demand in foreign markets, the business is a “neglected trade” in the state due to the huge losses faced by culturists by various disease outbreaks. The poor culturists now use various chemicals or disinfectants and antibiotics to get rid of the disease outbreaks. Read more…
