Imphal, October 21: The heavy and clumsy looking wooden boats might disappeared from the State in near future with the sophisticated, more durable and less costlier Fibre Reinforced Plastic (FRP) boats set to replace them for the benefit of the people particularly the fishing community settling around the periphery of Loktak lake.

A 30-day training programme on construction of the FRP boat and insulated ice-box fabrication organised by Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT) Kochi in collaboration with the State Fisheries Department has begun from today at ICAR complex, Lamphelpat.

The training is being imparted to 20 selected persons, all fish farmers by CIFT experts led by its Principal Scientist and Naval Architect Dr M Nasseer.

The materials brought from Kochi would be used in construction of 40 FRP boats and already 3/4 such boats have been constructed at the training shed at the premises of ICAR, Naseer informed.

While the life span of a wooden boat is around 5 to 10 years, that of the FRP boats would last upto 30 years, he said, adding that it takes hardly two days to make a FRP boat and its cost at subsidised rate would be Rs 6000 to Rs 7000 depending on the size.

Fisheries Minister N Mangi Singh, who inaugurated the training programme as chief guest pointing the significance of the FRP boats and endorsed setting up a permanent factory for manufacturing these type of boats which are more eco-friendly and attractive look at.

Apart from giving subsidy to the fishermen in buying such boats, the Minister also elaborated on certain schemes to promote the fishermen staying at the periphery of Loktak Lake.

The Minister announced that a hatchery centre for fresh water pawn would be opened at the premised of Fisheries Department at Lamphel be next year.

The proposed hatchery unit would also culture indigenous fishes including Ngakra and Pengba, the Minister informed.

In his presidential address, Secretary (Fisheries) L Lakher lauded the CIFT experts for imparting training and technical know-how to the fish farmers of the State.

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