The Hon'ble Vice-Chancellor, Dr. N. Felix, Tamil Nadu Dr. J. Jayalalithaa Fisheries University inaugurated Seabass breeding and hatchery support facilities worth Rs.68.5 Lakhs at the Mandapam Centre for Sustainable Aquaculture, Seeniappa Dargha in Ramanathapuram District on 02.08.2026. The Hatchery support facilities were constructed under the Tamil Nadu Government funded Project on "Breeding and Seed Production of Asian Seabass, (Lates calcarifer) for distribution of fingerlings to the Coastal Fish farmers of Ramanathapuram and Selected Coastal districts of Tamil Nadu for Livelihood Enhancement". The project was sanctioned by the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries of Government of Tamil Nadu for a total of 200 Lakhs of which Rs.68.5 Lakhs was earmarked solely for the construction/strengthening of the Seabass breeding and Hatchery support facility at MCeSA. The Respected Vice-Chancellor inaugurated a 2-stage filteration system for the Hatchery with a total volume of 50 tonnes. The facility is a large gravity driven filteration system which has been designed and constructed to filter raw seawater. He has also inaugurated an outdoor microalgal facility that had been overlaid with transparent polycarbonate roofing over an area of 1300 square feet for mass production of microalgae and an additional Blower Room for fixing Blowers with a capacity of 13 HP for the Hatchery. Apart from hatchery support facilities 6 numbers of HDPE lined ponds of 250 m3 capacity each for storing treated seawater and for nursery rearing of Asian seabass were all inaugurated by the Respected Vice-Chancellor.
