ICAR-CIFT at Kochi, the country's only national centre for fishing and fish processing research

Background

The ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Technology was set up in 1957 and started functioning at Cochin in the same year.
It is the only national centre in the country where research in all disciplines relating to fishing and fish processing is undertaken.
Research centres of the institute function at Veraval in Gujarat, Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh and Mumbai in Maharashtra.
Its mandate covers basic and strategic research in fishing and processing, the design of energy efficient fishing systems for responsible fishing, and the development of implements and machinery for fishing and fish processing.
Human resource development through training, education and extension is also part of the mandate.
The institute is headed by a Director in whom all administrative and financial powers are vested.
Its research divisions include Fishing Technology, Fish Processing, Biochemistry and Nutrition, Quality Assurance and Management, Microbiology, Fermentation and Biotechnology, Engineering, and Extension, Information and Statistics.