Bureau Report
Nagaon, August 12: Nagaon District Fisheries Department organized a series of awareness and demonstration programmes on beel fisheries development and small fish nutrition promotion at Dighali Beel, Buka Beel, Mikirdhar Beel since Thursday last. The programmes were being initiated under World Bank aided Assam Agribusiness and Rural Transformation Project (APART) through 'WorldFish' a research-based international CGIAR organization. Over 300 participants including pregnant women & lactating mothers, adolescent girls, children of different ages, Anganwadi workers, School teachers, APART & other fisheries staff, fish Farmers, community leaders participated in the programmes. During the awareness drive, Sushil Nath, district fisheries officer, Nagaon and Dr Sanjay Sarma, Fishery Co-ordinator of APART explained about the sources of fish particularly small in community level and their consumption habits including different popular fish recipes prepared by local community at the natural resource of beel fisheries. Rituparna Pegu district nodal officer of APART in Nagaon district co-ordinated these programmes. He also spoke on the importance of such a programme at the cluster level of different development blocks of the district saying that it has a bigger impact to include small fish as a super food in the diversified diet of community people, particularly women and children, a release added. Dr Benoy Barman, senior scientist and Dr. Baishnaba Ch. Ratha, senior nutrition specialist, WorldFish elaborated the strategies for scientific Beel fisheries development and small fish production which is supposed the cheapest sources of animal protein and other important micronutrients such as vitamin A, vitamin B12, iron, calcium, zinc, and essential fatty acids. Under a diversified diet, during the critical first 1000 days of child life, the mother must be consumed higher quantities of small fish including other vegetables during her pregnancy and lactation. Dr. Ratha demonstrated to ICDS Anganwadi workers and community members, particularly mothers and caretakers of children, the preparation process of small fish powder hygienically at household level with locally available small fish. Because inclusion of small fish powder in regular curry of young children have a very good long term health impact on over all development. He explained in detail about nutrition and health benefits of locally available small fishes, especially small fish eaten whole, is highly nutritious and contributes a wide range of micronutrients that benefit the health of women, adolescent girls, and children. During the programme, Prakash Kalita and Bidyut Medhi ,APART consultants motivates to fish farmers that, large fish can be sold for income, while small fish are harvested regularly for household consumption or, when in excess, for sale within the community or near the market, the release said further.
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