Status and scope of Information Communication Technology aided tools for Aquaculture Extension Service in India

Effective aquaculture extension service is the source of information and technologies to farmers, as well as, feedback to researchers and policymakers about the aqua farmers’ problems, needs and concerns. Information is a critical resource in the farming practice and it is the basis of extension service delivery. Effective Research-Extension-Farmer (REF) linkage ensures that farming innovations are more appropriate and productive to enhance the overall production and ensure the livelihoods of farmers. However, such a REF linkage is non-existent in Indian aquaculture sector. Hence, it is important to look for an alternative strategy and in the era of information revolution, Information Communication Technology (ICT) aided tools are one of the means to address this gap. ICT in abroad has been used widely for study and improvement of aquaculture production systems, research and education. It has played a major role in fish disease diagnosis and health management, aquaculture site selection, aquaculture farm management and aquaculture produce marketing. Although several initiatives have been made for use of ICT in aquaculture sector in India, its application is in a limited scale. To make the information transfer more effective, there is need to increase the use of ICT tools for aquaculture extension service.