Kochi, Oct 1 — A scientific stock enhancement project by the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (ICAR-CMFRI) has shown promising results in restoring the declining black clam resource in Kerala's Vembanad Lake, with production reaching up to eight times the quantity of seeds stocked.
The project involved relaying five tonnes of black clam seed in a one-hectare area at Vadakkumkara in Alappuzha district in September last year.
After a 12-month culture period, the harvested clams showed good growth and a survival rate of 80 to 90 per cent.
The production from the one-hectare area is expected to reach around 40 tonnes, indicating the potential of planned stock enhancement to help rebuild the clam resource in Vembanad.
The results were marked by a harvest festival held at the project site.
Black clam (Villorita cyprinoides) is one of the most important fisheries resources of Vembanad Lake.
The lake accounts for more than 80 per cent of India's total black clam resources and the fishery directly supports the livelihoods of more than 6,000 families.
Nearly twice that number depend on allied activities.
The project assumes significance against the backdrop of a sustained decline in the clam resource due to intensive exploitation and changing environmental conditions.
According to CMFRI estimates, the black clam catch in the region declined from a peak of 75,592 tonnes in 2006 to 45,601 tonnes in 2024, a fall of nearly 40 per cent.
The project was implemented with 100 per cent subsidy for Scheduled Caste communities under the Central Government's Scheduled Caste Sub Plan (SCSP), with technical support from CMFRI and in collaboration with the Thaikkattussery Black Clam Co-operative Society.
Inaugurating the harvest, CMFRI Director Dr Grinson George said the initiative showed how scientific regeneration could help replenish the declining clam resource while providing sustained livelihood support to fishing communities.
He said replenishing the natural clam stock could also contribute to the ecological functioning and productivity of the estuarine ecosystem, where clams play an important role as filter-feeding organisms.
CMFRI Senior Scientist Dr Vidya R, who coordinated the project, said the relaying site was selected through scientific assessment and had no existing clam stock.
She said standard sampling methods and an appropriate stocking density were adopted to ensure effective stock enhancement.
The successful outcome demonstrated the potential of scientific intervention to combine resource regeneration, ecosystem recovery and livelihood support for local communities, she said.