'Aquaculture should be transparent'

Aquaculture should be transparent towards meeting the purpose of producing pure aqua-medicine, opined Nitte University Pro Chancellor Professor Shantaram Shetty.

He was speaking after inaugurating a 15-day national training programme on aquatic medicine, organised by Karnataka Veterinary, Animal and Fisheries Sciences University, Bidar, College of Fisheries, Mangaluru and National Fisheries Development Board at Fisheries College in Yekkur on Monday.

He said India has a long coastal line of 7,000 km and around 30,000 tonnes of fish is being exported from India every year.

There is a lot of scope for aquatic medicine, provided the resources are utilised in the best way and in a scientific manner, he added.

Need for methodology
Expressing his concern over an increased use of pesticides and chemicals in agriculture, Professor Shetty felt the need for a teaching methodology to make the general public aware of the situation.
There were times when there was a lack of infrastructure in the country, which restricted the development, he said.

But today, there are good infrastructure facilities compared to the past and the youth have to utilise the facilities available to the full potential and should strive
towards the development of the nation, Professor Shetty said.

Compared to other nations, there are very less number of research works being done in India.
Only 0.5 per cent of research publications is being contributed from the nation. The deans of academic institutions should encourage students to carry out research, he opined.

He called upon the youngsters to develop scientific temper. At the same time, one must remember that science without humanity is a blunder, he said.

Dean and Course Director Dr K M Shankar was present on the occasion.
DH News Service