Open House Celebrates 68th Foundation Day Fete Of CIFT

Visakhapatnam: An Open House was organised at the Visakhapatnam Regional Centre of ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (ICAR-CIFT), where the fishing technology, fish processing, and biotechnology laboratories were opened to students and the general public, encouraging scientific curiosity and engagement.

The event was held as part of 68th foundation day celebration of ICAR-CIFT here on Tuesday. A painting competition on the theme "Life Below Water" was conducted to promote awareness among the youth.

Officials from the ICAR-CMFRI, FSI, CIFNET, NIFPHTT, EIA, MPEDA, NETFISH, NIO and Andhra University participated in the celebrations.

Dr Bharati S Sabade, Head, Cyclone Warning Centre, Visakhapatnam graced the occasion and lauded the remarkable research contributions of ICAR-CIFT, which have significantly supported the fishing industry and various stakeholders in advancing the fisheries sector of the country.

She also acknowledged the broader contributions of ICAR in the development of agriculture and allied fields across India.

Earlier, in his presidential address, Dr U Sreedhar, Scientist-in-Charge and Principal Scientist of Visakhapatnam Research Centre of ICAR-CIFT, highlighted the institute’s major achievements in both the harvest and post-harvest sectors related to fisheries along the East Coast.

He emphasised the innovative work carried out by the ICAR-CIFT Visakhapatnam Centre, particularly in the areas of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), food safety, value-added fish products, deep-sea trawl resource exploration, implementation of Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs), and the validation of tuna fishing advisories.

As part of the Foundation Day celebrations, ICAR-CIFT honoured its senior-most retired staff members for their valuable contributions to the institute. A Hindi in-house magazine titled "Matsyadhara," showcasing the research achievements and cultural talents of the staff, was released by Dr. Sabade.