<p>Mangaluru: The annual Matsyotsava (fish festival), organised by the Pilikula Development Authority and the department of Fisheries at Pilikula Lake Garden on Sunday, drew a large crowd who enjoyed fish delicacies and took home fresh catch.</p><p>Moodbidri MLA Umanath Kotian inaugurated the festival. To mark the occasion, the Fisheries Department and the Pilikula Development Authority released 20,000 fingerlings into the lake.</p> .<p>Around 1,200 kg of fish were caught and sold at the event. “The public response was encouraging. Around 500 people attended Matsyotsava,” said Pilikula Development Authority in-charge commissioner Dr Arun Kumar Shetty, speaking to DH.</p><p>Earlier, some of the catch would remain unsold. This time, however, people stood in queues to buy fish. Varieties such as catla, rohu, and tilapia were netted from the lake, with some fish weighing between 6 and 7 kg. Rohu and catla were sold at Rs 160 per kg, while tilapia was priced at Rs 100 per kg. Workers cleaned and cut the fish on the spot before selling them to customers.</p> .<p>The Karnataka Fisheries Development Corporation had also set up a stall selling ready-to-eat fish fries, which were relished by the visitors.</p><p>The Matsyotsava has grown into a popular festival among local residents, offering them an opportunity to purchase freshly caught fish. Coastal residents, more accustomed to sea fish, also enjoyed the taste of freshwater varieties at the event, said Dr Shetty. </p>
<p>Mangaluru: The annual Matsyotsava (fish festival), organised by the Pilikula Development Authority and the department of Fisheries at Pilikula Lake Garden on Sunday, drew a large crowd who enjoyed fish delicacies and took home fresh catch.</p><p>Moodbidri MLA Umanath Kotian inaugurated the festival. To mark the occasion, the Fisheries Department and the Pilikula Development Authority released 20,000 fingerlings into the lake.</p> .<p>Around 1,200 kg of fish were caught and sold at the event. “The public response was encouraging. Around 500 people attended Matsyotsava,” said Pilikula Development Authority in-charge commissioner Dr Arun Kumar Shetty, speaking to DH.</p><p>Earlier, some of the catch would remain unsold. This time, however, people stood in queues to buy fish. Varieties such as catla, rohu, and tilapia were netted from the lake, with some fish weighing between 6 and 7 kg. Rohu and catla were sold at Rs 160 per kg, while tilapia was priced at Rs 100 per kg. Workers cleaned and cut the fish on the spot before selling them to customers.</p> .<p>The Karnataka Fisheries Development Corporation had also set up a stall selling ready-to-eat fish fries, which were relished by the visitors.</p><p>The Matsyotsava has grown into a popular festival among local residents, offering them an opportunity to purchase freshly caught fish. Coastal residents, more accustomed to sea fish, also enjoyed the taste of freshwater varieties at the event, said Dr Shetty. </p>