Wandering in prawn land

The coastal village of Njarakkal near Kochi is famed for its prawn farming in brackish waters. Prawn farms like the Matsyafed fish farm I visited are locally known as chemmeenkettu and are well managed and conserved. The unexpected jumping of the fish as you cruise around in a paddle boat is a sight to behold. There are massive numbers of milk fish in the farm locally known as poomeen which reacts to any disturbance on top of the water by jumping over it. Karimeen, kanambu, njandu are the other famed varieties seen in the farm.

 A stroll and a fish meal
I stroll for an hour through the walkways surrounding the fish farm, noticing a small island in the middle of the water body which is very scenic. At shorter stretches, resting points and hammocks are provided for the visitors. Tall and short coconut trees flank the walkways and their presence adds beauty to the farm. Adjacent to the pathways on one side I spot small canals and mangrove clusters. Angling facilities are also offered to the visitors at a cost of twenty rupees and I was happy to engage in it for a few hours after the cruise.

The highlight of the farm is the hot and spicy fish meals offered to the visitors by  a Kudumbasree self-help group named Souparnika. The one day package to visit the farm is ` 200 for adults and hundred for children and includes the meal. The prime objective of Matsyafed is to carry out activities for promoting production, procurement, processing and marketing of fish and fishery products for the total development of the fishing community. The people of the village are highly benefitted from this innovative tourism project as it offers a source for earning livelihood.

The visit was totally an awe inspiring experience for me as it offered opportunities to observe the beauty of the unspoiled environment. Beyond doubt it is one among the best rural spots I have visited near Kochi.

(The writer is a lecturer at the School of Tourism Studies, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam)