This institute is instrumental in bringing about blue revolution in Andhra Pradesh. This was achieved through the establishment of the demonstration farms of freshwater fish farm and brackish water farm at CIFE Kakinada centre. The centre has training facilities for farmers/entrepreneurs from different parts of India.

Gujarat has vast unexploited potential for brackish water aquaculture and freshwater aquaculture. Institute has demonstrated polyculture of carps with 8-10 tons/ha/yr as against 2-3 tons earlier in Bharuch dist. CIFE has conducted awareness cum demonstration programs to bring Kharland (suitable areas are being mapped using remote sensing and GIS)under aquaculture through eco-friendly and sustainable shrimp farming. The Institute has made a similar proposal for Department of Fisheries, Goa for integrated and sustainable development of aquaculture.

CIFE has been playing a significant role in developing high value freshwater prawn culture in North Eastern states of Tripura, Mizoram and Manipur by setting up hatcheries using artificial seawater. Integrated fish farming systems approach for rural development has been adopted wherein fish cum poultry, fish cum piggery, fish cum cattle integrated farming systems, poly culture of carps and prawn were demonstrated successfully. Now, co-management principles will be integrated in a Trickle Down System of extension for overall development of the fisher families by generation of self employment opportunities and development of rural economy.

The institute has initiated several programmes in collaboration with different Departments of Fisheries namely Tamil Nadu, Manipur, Mizoram, Bihar, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Tripura, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh for capacity building of extension personnel and other stakeholders in the areas of participatory and cost effective extension services and fisheries co management. The expected outcome of these programmes is improved and professional extension service on one hand and generation of alternative livelihoods and participatory sustainable resource management on the other hand.

The cage culture programme has been undertaken in the reservoirs of Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh and Maharashtra to increase the fish productivity which in turn will result in improved income levels of the fisher families and nutritional status.

CIFE has taken projects with specific focus on fisherwomen where health and nutrition awareness, hygiene and sanitation campaigns have been undertaken. Fisherwomen have been organized in few villages of Maharashtra and West Bengal with a focus on livelihood improvement. Projects have been initiated at the CIFE Lucknow centre with a specific focus on capacity development of fishers of the state in the areas of aquaculture.

The innovative project on saline aquaculture taken at Udaipur, Rajasthan has been a successful model for use of land not suitable for agriculture. This has been identified as a niche area and similar attempts are being made by Rohtak centre of CIFE to adopt technology in the inland saline areas for sustainable use of resources. It is expected to result in enhancement of rural economy and self employment generation in hostile environment.

The institute’s project on “Integrated aquaculture for sustainable resources utilization in bio-villages”, in tribal villages of Thane district of Maharashtra has developed an effective model of integrated development with participatory approach. The villagers, who are mostly the landless labors, were involved in aquaculture by creating ponds in the Panchayat lands. They were trained in different activities of aquaculture in addition to mush room and vermin-compost culture. Buy back arrangement are being made for sale of fish seeds from the nursery ponds and ornamental fish. This is providing employment to the local villagers and is improving their nutritional status.

Institute has introduced fish farming in watershed ponds at Baba Amte Leprosy Rehabilitation camp at Chandrapur District, Maharashtra. This demonstration program has become a role model for development of poly culture of carps in that region where large numbers of seasonal ponds were being brought under aquaculture which provided additional employment opportunities and income for farmers in the region including those rehabilitated.