The Fisheries Economics, Extension, and Statistics (FEES) at ICAR-CIFE, Mumbai, is one of the oldest divisions. It traces its origins to the Department of Fisheries Economics, established in 1961, the same year CIFE, Mumbai, was founded. Over time, the division has undergone several nomenclature changes and is now recognized as the FEES Division. Faculty and students are trained from prestigious Indian institutions, including IIT, IIM, TISS and international universities in Australia, the USA, Japan, and Spain. The division strives to be a global leader in fisheries economics, extension, and statistics.

Academic Programmes:

This division offers Master’s and Ph.D. degrees in two major disciplines: Fisheries Economics and Fisheries Extension.

Research:

Research in this division covers a broad spectrum of topics, including: Gender, livelihood, and food security, Policy and governance, Market research and Circular economy, Ecosystem valuation and climate change, Fisheries cooperatives, Technology development, assessment, dissemination and more. The division is currently engaged in nine externally funded projects and one consultancy project.

Extension:

Beyond research and academics, the division plays an active role in organizing and participating in exhibitions, fish festivals, film festivals, providing advisories, consultancies, coordinating field-level programmes, and contributing to policy development. Regular interactions with farmers and fishers are conducted to address their challenges, share solutions, and introduce technological advancements in the field.

Placement and Career Opportunities:

Students from the FEES Division have become valuable assets to various sectors. They are employed as scientists within the ICAR system, assistant professors at state and private universities, fisheries officers at state and central government levels, and professionals in banks, private companies, NGOs, International Government Organizations, and some have even pursued self-employment.

Achievements

Publications:

The division’s staff and students have contributed publications in high-impact journals such as Aquaculture Research, Aquaculture International, Journal of Cleaner Production, Lakes and Reservoirs, Frontiers in Marine Science, Ecological Indicators, Agricultural Water Management, Journal of Environmental Management, Marine Pollution Bulletin, Scientific Reports, All Life, World Patent Information, Journal of Agromedicine, among others. Both students and faculty have presented their research at international conferences in Asia (Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia), the USA (Seattle), and Europe (Italy) and won several awards.

Incubation and Entrepreneurship:

The division supports student incubatees working on different entrepreneurial ventures related to fisheries.

Intellectual Property Rights:

The division has been granted copyrights for several innovations, including:

• Methodological framework of KVK-Fisheries extension intensity index (KVK-FEII)
• VISTA: Vision and Intelligence for Shrimp Transmissible Abnormalities Placement details
• Fish Culture Area Mapping, Efficient Ranching Assessment and Change Detection for Reservoirs (Fish CAMERA-CDR) Framework
• m-jhinga 2.0 Mobile App for Shrimp Aquaculture in Inland Salt Affected Areas
• HCVAF: Human Capital Valuation Framework for Academia
• CIFE-Gender Analysis Tool for Fisheries and Aquaculture (GATFA)
• Indigenous Technological Knowledge Appropriateness Scale
• Stakeholder Perceptions of Patenting Activities in Fisheries and Aquaculture

Additionally, the division has been granted a trademark for FishANUre®, an organic manure developed from fish waste, and has filed a patent for Leather Fabric and a Process for Its Preparation. The division is also listed as a co-inventor for technologies such as the Fish Drying Rack and the Catfish Hatchery and Rearing of Seed Under Three-Tier System.

Licensing of Technologies:

Technologies developed by the division have been licensed to various organizations, including the Cooperative Fisheries Federation (COFFED) in Patna, Bihar, and progressive farmer in Uttar Pradesh.

Collaborations:

The division has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) with notable institutions/ministries, such as

• Vaikunth Mehta National Institute of Cooperative Management (VAMNICOM), Pune
• Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Mumbai
• Ministry of Industries, Government of Maharashtra

Revenue Generation:

In the previous year, the division generated revenue totalling Rs. 8,50,000/- through two technology commercializations, consultancy projects, training fees, and rent from the training hostel.

Trainings

The division provides various trainings, including:

• Shrimp Crop Insurance and Loss Assessment
• Advancing Understanding of Fisheries Economics for Tomorrow’s Leaders
• Geo Spatial Analysis Using Open Source Software
• Computer Vision in Fisheries Using Machine Learning
• Aqua Business Models for Promoting Aquapreneurship
• Development of Organic Manure from Fish Waste
• Digital Payment Transactions

Services

• Livelihood and Impact Analysis
• Economic Analysis
• Circular Economy Solutions
• Ecosystem Valuations
• Customised Training Programmes
• Evidence Based Consultancy Support