SHERGAON : In a first for Arunachal Pradesh, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Central Institute of Coldwater Fisheries Research (ICAR-CICFR), Bhimtal, Uttarakhand, organised a one-day training-cum-awareness programme on the use of vaccines in rainbow trout farming at Shergaon in West Kameng district on Saturday.
Organised in collaboration with the District Fisheries Development Office (DFDO), Bomdila, under the Department of Fisheries, the programme focused on promoting vaccination as a sustainable alternative to antibiotics for disease management in aquaculture. It was conducted under the institute’s North Eastern Region (NER) Activity 2026-27.
Around 25 rainbow trout farmers from West Kameng and Bichom districts participated in the programme and interacted with experts on fish health management, disease prevention and sustainable trout farming practices.
District Fisheries Development Officer (DFDO) Pema Khandu Thungon welcomed the chief guest, Shergaon Zilla Parishad Member Chong Khandu Lama, ICAR-National Fellow Dr Neetu Shahi of ICAR-CICFR, who developed the rainbow trout vaccine against Lactococcus garvieae, and the participating farmers.
During the technical session, Dr Shahi highlighted the advantages of vaccination over routine antibiotic use, stating that vaccines provide long-term protection against bacterial diseases, improve fish survival and productivity, and significantly reduce dependence on antibiotics.
She also cautioned that indiscriminate use of antibiotics in aquaculture contributes to antimicrobial resistance (AMR), posing risks to aquatic animal health, food safety, environmental sustainability and public health. She encouraged farmers to adopt vaccination and other preventive health management practices for sustainable aquaculture.
Speaking on the occasion, Chong Khandu Lama lauded ICAR-CICFR and Dr Shahi for developing the rainbow trout vaccine and for bringing scientific knowledge directly to farmers in the remote trout-farming region of Shergaon. He said such interventions would strengthen sustainable coldwater aquaculture in Arunachal Pradesh.
As part of the programme, ICAR-CICFR distributed five deep freezers to selected rainbow trout farmers under the NER Activity 2026-27. The equipment will help maintain the cold chain, improve fish storage, reduce post-harvest losses and support value addition and marketing of rainbow trout products.
The programme concluded with an interactive session, field trials of the vaccine and collection of clinical samples from selected trout farms. Farmers expressed keen interest in adopting scientific fish health management practices and appreciated the institute’s efforts to bring advanced technologies to the farming community.
The vote of thanks was delivered by District Fisheries Development Officer Pema Khandu Thungon, who also coordinated the programme and acknowledged the support extended by ICAR-CICFR towards the development of rainbow trout farming in the state. (DIPR)
