Thiruvananthapuram, March 4 (NationPress) Union Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, Dairying, and Minority Affairs, George Kurian, emphasized the transformative impact of the Centre's Matsya Shakti initiative on empowering coastal minority communities through organized skill enhancement and fisheries-oriented livelihood assistance.

He officially launched a training and awareness program as part of this initiative at the Vizhinjam Regional Centre of the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI).

This project, conducted under the prominent Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka Samvardhan (PM VIKAS) scheme of the Ministry of Minority Affairs, signifies a pivotal capacity-building strategy within the fisheries sector.

During the launch of the latest phase of training and awareness activities, the Minister awarded certificates to individuals who successfully completed the first phase of the program initiated last year at the Vizhinjam center.

The Matsya Shakti initiative aims to assist 690 individuals, making it one of the most extensive targeted skill development projects for minority fishing communities in the region.

As part of this program, 90 participants are currently engaged in a 40-day intensive course to qualify as hatchery production workers.

The training curriculum includes broodstock management, artificial breeding, larval rearing, feed and water quality management, hatchery hygiene, and biosecurity protocols.

Additionally, 180 beneficiaries will receive practical training in cage culture fish farming, focusing on sustainable mariculture practices.

A vital aspect of this initiative is the empowerment of women, with 420 women earmarked for specialized leadership development training.

The training modules encompass communication skills, financial literacy, entrepreneurship development, awareness of government schemes, and strategies for collective action.

While interacting with the trainees, Kurian encouraged them to utilize the program to emerge as entrepreneurs and community leaders capable of creating local employment opportunities.

He also distributed fish seeds of Giant Trevally, a high-value edible fish, and Bluefin Watchman Goby, an ornamental species, to farmers, along with brochures outlining their cultivation potential.

The Minister later inspected the hatchery and various research facilities at the Vizhinjam center.

Senior scientists from CMFRI highlighted the institute's pivotal role in fostering technology-driven fisheries development aligned with inclusive growth goals.