A Centre of Professional and Higher Education in Fisheries
Know about the first Fisheries University of the country and the programmes offered there for producing experts in the field so that fish production of the country gets benefited. Kerala, the State which always kept top position in fish production was first to start various training programmes in the field.
Kerala used to and continues to contribute a good share, almost between 25 to 30 percent of total fish production of the country. To produce more efficient technical manpower in fisheries sector Kerala started introducing educational facilities in this sector and related fields about five to six decades back.
In the year 1979 it started a professional college offering degree and post graduate programmes. It was started as a separate faculty under the Kerala Agricultural University at Panangad in Kochi. It was started with the approval of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Government of India. Being a professional course the duration of the course was four years (eight semesters) as specified by the ICAR. PG programmes (with specialisations) need two years.
Now the first Fisheries University of the country also has come up and is functional with facilities for higher education and research in the field. The campus at Kochi, where the Fisheries College is functioning is the location of the Head quarters of the University. It is named as the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies ( KUFOS ). It is an autonomous public funded institution established on 20th November 2010, and governed by the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies Act, 2010. This is the first Fisheries University in India. The Central Institute of Fisheries Education (CIFE) functioning at Mumbai is a deemed university.
The Mission of the University is to serve as a flagship University of higher learning through demonstrated and growing excellence in teaching,research,extension,scholarship and creative work in fisheries and ocean studies,comparable with global standards that will benefit the country and the world at large.
This university is for furthering the advancement in learning and conduct of research in fisheries, ocean studies and allied subjects. It will formulate new courses and curriculum in fisheries and ocean studies in accordance with the technical advancement in respective fields. It aims at collaborating with other similar institutions within and without the country. This will be developed as the centre of excellence for Human Resource Development in fisheries and ocean studies.
Since the University is functioning in the same campus where the Fisheries college was functioning since 1979, the graduate and post graduate programmes conducted there are transferred with all its built up facilities and staff pattern. The college itself got disaffiliated from Kerala Agricultural University and is now part of the new KUFOS. Also the fisheries research station at Puduvaypu near Kochi has been transferred to this new University.
From the academic year 2011-2012 onwards, the University offers under graduate ( B. F. Sc.), Post-graduate( M.F.Sc.) and Doctoral (Ph. D. ) programmes in Fisheries Science under the Faculty of Fisheries. The courses under the Faculty of Fisheries are offered in full compliance with the ICAR pattern. Post–graduate programmes are offered in four disciplines and Doctoral programmes in three disciplines. There are 50 seats for the B. F. Sc. programme out of which 31 seats are open. Seven seats are allotted to ICAR candidates selected nationally by ICAR and six reserved for children of fishermen. The remaining seats are for other reservation categories. Selection to the seats (other than ICAR quota) are done through an entrance examination. Out of the 14 seats for the M.F. Sc. programme, 4 seats are allotted to ICAR candidates.
B.F. Sc. Programme is for eight semesters with one semester allotted for field experience. M.F.Sc. Programmes are offered in Aquaculture, Fish Nutrition and feed Technology, Fish Processing Technology, Fishery Hydrography and Fishery Resource Management, Physical Oceanography & Ocean modelling, Biological Oceanography & Bio-diversity, Fisheries Economics and MBA.
The courses are offered under various departments working in Schools as shown below:
1. School of Aquaculture and Biotechnology
2. School of Fisheries Resource Management and Harvest Technology
3. School of Aquatic Food Products and Technology
4. School of Management & Entrepreneurship
The College campus is about ten km from the Koch City towards South on the NH 47 leading to Kanyakumari.
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