The State government has sanctioned the establishment of a fisheries college at Payyannur in Kannur district under the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (Kufos). A communication from Kufos said here on Saturday that the Payyannur fisheries college will be the second of its kind in the State.
The Payyannur college has been initially allowed to launch a Bachelor of Fisheries Sciences course with a capacity for 40 students, the communication added. KUFOS Vice Chancellor K. Riji John said the course would start this academic year. The admissions will be based on the results of NEET examinations.
A regional research centre under KUFOS is now operational in Payyannur. The university has also located sufficient land for launching the fisheries college, Dr. John added. However, a building of about 20,000 sq.ft. will be taken on lease until the college building is ready.
At present, fisheries and ocean studies are conducted on the KUFOS campus in Kochi and the establishment of the new college in Payyannur will help students from areas like Malabar take up studies and research in the field. The lack of such a facility had been brought to the notice of the State government, and Fisheries Minister Saji Cherian had considered the request, Dr. John added.
The establishment of the fisheries college is also expected to help aquaculture farmers in the Malabar region in a big way. Along with the degree course in fisheries sciences, training will also be imparted to aquaculturists taking fish cultivation in both fresh and brackish water. Besides, the college is also expected to be instrumental in training young people in the production of value-added products from fish in the region.
KUFOS, launched in 2010, is the first first university dedicated to research in fisheries and ocean studies. The Panangad Fisheries College was established in 1979 under the Kerala State Agricultural University.
