‘Catch Them Young’
DOIMUKH, 18 Feb: Fisheries minister Gabriel D. Wangsu urged farmers of the state to adopt fish farming as an important livelihood activity.
Launching the first phase of the “Catch Them Young” comprehensive skill development training programme on fisheries here on Wednesday, Wangsu said that “the programme intends to give technical knowledge to the interested farmers, stating that lack of skills often leads farmers to failure, which in turn results in demotivation among the youth.”
The programme, conducted by the fisheries department, aims to equip unemployed educated local youth and farmers with technical skills in fisheries and allied sectors.
Forty-nine farmers from Papum Pare, Keyi Panyor, Kra Daadi, and Kamle will undergo intensive 5-day skill training at the Fish Farmers’ Training Centre, Emchi, Doimukh.
The training will cover key areas including feed management, breeding and fish sampling techniques.
“I want the young farmers to be motivated. Youths get demotivated when they fail in farming,” the minister said, expressing government’s commitment to providing handholding to trained farmers in the form of priority in availing schemes such as the Atma Nirbhar Scheme.
Describing the initiative as modest yet impactful, Wangsu said, “It is a small initiative but effective, for the government and for the farmers themselves.”
He emphasised that the ‘Catch Them Young’ programme has been conceived with sincerity by the state government and is an important priority of the Pema Khandu-led government.
The minister also expressed optimism about achieving surplus fish production if farmers are adequately skilled in their activities.
Progressive fish farmers Likha Maj and Tana Hari shared their success stories with the new batch of trainees, offering encouragement and practical insights drawn from their own experiences.
The programme was attended by fisheries commissioner Tai Kaye, the deputy director and assistant director of the fisheries department.
