The prime objective of fisheries extension is to persuade and empower aquafarmers and fishing communities to improve their socioeconomic condition and quality of life by making improvement in their farming practices resulting in increased fish production and income. Once the primary objective at household and community levels is achieved, the overall national development objective of increasing national fish production is also attained. It is highly desirable that the primary producers are well informed and involved in the planning process from the very beginning and supported by the Government to enhance their production to achieve the planned national targets. Further, it is also equally important that while providing extension services support to these primary producers for developing their farming practices, utmost care be taken that recommendations suggested are in line with the need, means and ability of individuals and the communities and at the same time these are economically viable and socially acceptable. The top down approach deserves revision and warrants active participation of primary producers in the process. The targeted expansion of aquaculture production will depend upon many factors, including the development of necessary infrastructure and marketing facilities, easy availability of required inputs and perhaps the most important of all these factors is the need for a system of information transfer from the research and development centres to the farming households. Only appropriate programme can generate mass participation to achieve national objectives.
The Department has been offering courses at undergraduate, postgraduate and doctorate levels. The Department is offering M.F.Sc. and Ph.D. programmes in Fishery Extension. The Department is well equipped with UG laboratory, PG laboratory and seminar room. The curriculum is being revised time to time as per the need of time. The undergraduate and postgraduate courses were updated during 2016-17 and 2009-10 as per the Fifth Deans’ Committee’s recommendation (ICAR) and Broad Subject Matter Area Committee (ICAR), respectively. Pedagogy is being performed with adoption of internet facilities to update knowledge of students. The post graduate students carry out research work emerging and need based areas of fishery extension for their research works and such results are being published in different reputed journals. So far twenty six students and two student have been completed their M.F.Sc. and Ph.D. from this Department respectively.
