Chennai-based scientists are set to explore the farming of cobia as a potential commercial fish. (Photo: Stock File/FishBase)

Chennai to pilot cobia farming

INDIA
Tuesday, March 31, 2009, 21:30 (GMT + 9)

India is the latest country to join a growing trend across the world to experiment with cobia (Rachycentron canadum) offshore farming. Researchers from Chennai are looking to develop a breeding technology for the brackish water fish and so help diversify India's aquaculture exports.

"India can use this opportunity to standardise the breeding protocol to produce cobia seeds and farming methods," said Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries Department secretary C Muthukumaraswamy, The Times of India reports.

The Fisheries College and Research Institute of the Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (TANUVAS) in Tuticorin, the Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture in Chennai, and the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute in Mandapam will jointly undertake the INR 26.5 million (USD 518,000) project.

Field experts highly rate cobia as a potentially lucrative commercial fish due to its growth rate, export potential, white meat, taste and flavour. Cobia can grow up to 2m in length and weigh up to 68kg; they can weigh about 1kg after six months, 5-6kg after a year and 8-10kg after two years.

Supporters of the initiative have also pointed to the viability of cobia seed production and farming in many Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam and Thailand.

"So far, only the bass is being bred for commercial production, and its feed is very expensive [1kg of feed costs INR 50 (USD 0.98)], whereas the cobia is a carnivore and eats other fish too. It is also tolerant to high temperature and brackishness. There is thus good potential for the fish to be bred by rural entrepreneurs," said the chairman of the consortium advisory committee the National Agricultural Innovation Project Cobia Project, M Sakthivel.

Marine cages imported from Norway will be used in the cobia project, which is set to be conducted on offshore and onshore sites at Tharuvikulam in Tuticorin near the TANUVAS Fisheries College and Research Institute.

At the same time, unused shrimp farms will be converted into cobia farms in onshore areas so that productivity levels at the two sites can be compared over nearly four years.

The project will not only focus on developing cobia breeding and farming technologies but on different forms of marketing and presenting the fish product.

"Since other countries have a lead over us, we will package the fish differently for the market. We are planning to market it as a value-added product in the form of ready-to-cook and ready-to-eat food," said the vice-chancellor of TANUVAS P Thangaraju.

Pilot cobia farms have also recently been launched in Brazil and the US.

Related articles:

- First commercial cobia farm operational
- Chinese businessmen eye native cobia production
- One-of-a-kind cobia breeding project to be launched at open sea
- Florida team explore pompano, cobia farming

By Denise Recalde
editorial@fis.com
www.fis.com