A Fishy (af)fair: Visitors at the Matsya Mahotsav, at Shilpgram in Panjabari on Sunday. Picture by Eastern Projections

March 30: A Rs 10-lottery ticket hooked an 11kg barali for Biswajit Biswas.

For Keshab Kalita, the catch comprised two huge magurs from a game called Catch Fishes in Seconds.

Kalita paid Rs 2 to participate in the game, which involved catching fishes from a cauldron in less than 10 seconds. More than 1,000 residents made a beeline for the Matsya Mahotsav 2008, under way at Shilpgram in Panjabari.

Chief minister Tarun Gogoi on Saturday inaugurated the festival, which will continue tomorrow.

A chance to learn more about aquaculture and the thrill of the games proved to be an irresistible draw for the residents, who thronged the venue today. “Besides winning two big magur, fish visiting the mahotsav was a good learning experience for me. I have learned several aspects of aquaculture by interacting with the participants and the officials of the fishery department. The aquarium exhibition and the exhibition on fishing tools and implements deserve appreciation,” Kalita said.

Ratul Barua, a college student, echoed Kalita’s views.

“I go to the market occasionally and pick up one or two varieties of fish that I have learnt to recognise. It was interesting here,” he said.

The state department of fisheries is organising the festival to create awareness on fish production, conservation of fish biodiversity, types and importance of ornamental fish and the diversification of fisheries.

The commissioner and secretary of the department, P.K. Borthakur, said the festival aimed at popularising scientific aquaculture and sensitising the officials to reach out to the common people in a big way. He said various events like a lottery, fish games, fish food exhibition, a competition to identify various breeds of fishes, art competitions, quiz and extempore debates for schoolchildren and a cultural evening would be held.

Two seminars on Ornamental Fish and its Prospects in Assam and The Prospects of Cold Water Fishery were also organised.

Experts from institutes like the Central Institute of Fishery Education, Mumbai, and National Research Centre on Coldwater Fisheries, Bhimtal, participated in the seminars and trained fish farmers on modern and scientific ways of aquaculture.

Chidananda Das, a fish farmer from Morigaon district, said the event was important for him, as he got the opportunity to interact with other farmers, experts and officials of the fisheries department. He said the sale of fresh barali and magur from Morigaon district was very high at the festival.

Fisheries minister Nurjamal Sarkar interacted with journalists at the festival ground and said fish is an integral part of the Assamese people’s diet. It also plays an important role in Assamese culture, which is basically agrarian.

He said the fisheries sector is related to the economic development of the state and the festival is part of the government’s initiative to bring about a blue revolution.