At a conference in Japan in 2017, Arka Prava Das learned about the devastating effects of climate change on global protein sources, such as beef, pork, chicken, and fish. A native of West Bengal’s Jalpaiguri, a city well-known for its variety of freshwater fishes and aquaculture farming, Das began to worry about the fish farmers in the region. Along with his childhood friend, environmental speaker Subhadeep Mitra, he conducted a survey across northeastern India to assess how aware the farmers are about the threats climate change poses to aquaculture.
“We came to know (fish) farmers are not ready for climate change, and they do not even understand what is coming and what is going to happen. The farming experience they have of 15-20 years will no longer give them an edge. These farmers are reactive; they only take measures after disasters hit them. They needed to be pro-active, and technology will be one of the key factors for the predictive part,” said Das, explaining the whole context of why he and Mitra started Essential Aquatech in 2019.
