Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge Vol. 5(1), January 2006, pp. 60-63 Indigenous Technological Knowledge in fish farming B Goswami*, S Mondal & S S Dana Department of Fishery Extension, Department of Fishery Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Fishery Sciences, West Bengal University of Animal & Fishery Sciences, Kolkata 7000064, West Bengal E-mail: bisug2003@yahoo.co.in Received 1 March 2005; revised 5 August 2005 The indigenous technological knowledge (ITK) innovated by the farmers is stored in people’s memories and activities, and supposed to be the thumb rule in combating different situations and constrains faced during the culture practices. A study was conducted for documentation of indigenous technological knowledge in fish farming in district 24 Parganas (South), West Bengal. The innovations are socially and ecologically acceptable, economically viable and involve little risk. The indigenous technological knowledge can be promoted through scientific approach as a mean of higher and sustainable fish production, which will be ecofriendly, too. Keywords: Fish farming, Traditional fish farming, Indigenous Technological Knowledge IPC Code: Int. Cl. 7 A01K61/00 The origin of fish culture in India probably dates back to 2000 years. Perhaps, fishery activity started when the human settlement moved away from the riverbanks to the hinterland. During monsoon season, the inundated paddy fields and low-lying areas gave birth to today’s aquaculture. The natural seed of fish got trapped after water receded which eventually led to the idea of “trapping and holding” of fish seed and raising them to the table size. Probably this is the milestone of the first innovation in aquaculture. As the days went by, the Indian fish farmers practice their own indigenous technology as a common practice through natural resource management 1 . The close and intimate observation of farmers through their age-old practices has developed the expertise of acquiring knowledge in aquatic ecosystem in particular. Admittedly, the multifarious knowledge and skill possessed by local people can substantially contribute to productive efforts and endeavors 2 . Scientific attitude to this indigenous technologies of the farmers are yet to be exposed. The viability of indigenous technologies failed to approach short and long-term perspective. Under this context the present study was undertaken to document indigenous technology common among the fish farming communities. Indigenous knowledge is traditional type of innovation by the farmers that is stored in peoples’ memories and activities and it is expressed in the form of stories, songs, folklore, proverbs, dances, myths, cultural values, beliefs, rituals, community laws, local language and taxonomy, agricultural practices, equipment materials, plant species and animal breeds 3 . Farmers’ innovation is based on their indigenous knowledge. The indigenous knowledge is the accumulated knowledge, skills and technology of the local farmer derived from the interaction of ecosystem 4 . Since the evolution of mankind, man has been entrusted with resources and location specific avenues like agriculture, fishery, dairy, animal husbandry, indigenous, medicine and weather study, etc. In rural areas, traditionally associated technical knowledge of fish farmers followed from generation to generation to cope up with different situational constraints 5 . The tested and proven innovations of our ancestors needs to be valued, validated and blended with new technological support 6,7 . Understanding of the dimension of technologies of the fish farming helps in asserting the degree and directional change through formal research 7,8 . Thus, recording of indigenous innovation becomes important which would otherwise be obsolete and lost soon without recognition in future. Farmers’ innovation has little or no cost, readily available, socially acceptable, economically viable, and sustainable, involve minimum risk to rural farmers and producers, and are widely believed to conserve resources. ___________ *Corresponding author