Section 8

Section 8 of the Assam Fish Seed Act, 2005. The registration made and licence issued under section 7 shall be valid for a period of one year from the date of such registration and issue of licence.

(1) The registration made and licence issued under section 7 shall be valid for a period of one year from the date of such registration and issue of licence.

(2) The registration and licence may be renewed by the District Fishery Development Officer for a further period of one year at a time on receipt of application for renewal and on payment of such fees as may be prescribed and if the requisite provisions as laid down in this Act are fulfilled.

(3) The District fishery Development Officer may refuse to renew the registration and licence, for reasons to be recorded in writing, if he is satisfied that the fish seed producer has failed to comply with the provisions of the Act and the conditions as laid down in the licence, giving him a reasonable opportunity of being heard.

(4) Any fish-seed producer aggrieved by the order of the District Fishery Development Officer may, within fifteen days from the date of such refusal, prefer and appeal to the Zonal Deputy Director of Fisheries who shall dispose of the appeal within fifteen days from the date of filing and whose decision thereon shall be final. Cancellation of 9. registration and revocation of licence.

(1) The District Fishery development Officer or any other officer authorised by the State Government under Section 7, may cancel the registration and revoke the licence granted to any person, society, association, farm or body of persons if the registration and licence has been obtained by the holder thereof by misrepresentation of facts and has failed to comply with the conditions subject to which the registration and licence have been issued or has contravened the provisions of this Act and the rules framed thereunder, which are required to be complied with by the holder of the registration and licence, by giving him a reasonable opportunity of being heard.

(2) Any person, society, association, farm or body or persons aggrieved by the cancellation of registration and revocation of licence may, within fifteen days from date of communication of such order, prefer and appeal to the Zonal Deputy Director of Fisheries who shall dispose of the application within fifteen days of filing of the appeal and his decision thereon shall be final. Establishment of a Brood Fish Bank and Seed Bank and maintenance of stock 10:

(1) The State Government shall establish at least one Brood Fish Bank and Seed Bank in each fishery zone in the Government fish and fish seed production farms available within the Zone for rearing of breeders of standard endemic species exclusively from wild collected spawn and to supply quality fish seed to fish seed producers for raising quality brood fish for subsequent production of quality fish seed and shall notify quality of brood fish and seed from time to time for compliance by seed producers.

(2) Cross breeding design of different hatchery stocks of each exotic species shall be prepared and practised in the Brood Fish Bank for maintenance of genetic diversity of exotic and improved endemic species. The Brood Fish Bank shall produce fingerlings from a large number of breeders at a time to ensure good genetic diversity, healthy breeders and quality seed.

(3) No person, association, farm or body of persons shall collect spawn from any natural source except by the Brood fish Pank and Seed Bank established under sub-section (1) :

Provided that District Fishery Development Officer may accord permission for collection of spawn from natural source to any University or Research Institute for the purpose of scientific research etc and the said permission shall be limited to that purpose only.

(4) The Brood Fish Bank and Seed Bank may either distribute the spawn to other hatcheries or after initial rearing distribute either as fry or fingerling.

(5) The wild origin of the spawn shall be certified by the concerned District Fishery Development Officer. Maintenance of 11. In order to maintain quality production of brood fish, the Brood Fish Bank and Seed Bank as well as the fish seed producers shall maintain the following standards, namely :- (i) for production of brood fish during breeding operations exotic and wild or improved endemic species, equal numbers of males and females should be used for reproduction so as to facilitate one male fertilize eggs from one female and the male once used shall not be used again to fertilize eggs of another female during the same breeding season.

(ii) brood fish candidates of exotic species should be produced only in the Brood Fish Bank and Seed Bank established under section 9. The spawn produced for brood stock rearing should be originated from a minimum of 50 numbers of parents ( 25+25) to avoid inbreeding.

(iii) in no circumstance other than Brood Fish Bank and Seed Bank is allowed to produce brood fish in order to avoid Negative Selection, inbreeding depression, genetic drift and genetic introgression of reproduced species;

(iv) origin and age of brood stock shall be recorded and maintained in a stock register in each hatchery.

(v) the Brood fish Bank and Seed Bank as well as the fish seed producers shall use the spawn measuring Cup as standardized by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).

(vi) brood fish weight shall not be less than 3 kg in case of catla, silver carps and grass carps ; 1.5 kg in case of Rohu and Mrigal (Mirika), 1 Kg in case of Common Carp and 0.5 Kg in case of Kuri ;

(vii) At least 30% of the brood fish stock shall be replaced every year by the Brood Fish Bank and Seed Bank as well by the fish seed producers ;

(viii) Propagation of the exotic fish species, such as Clarias gariepinus (Thailand Magur), Oreochromis sp. (Tilapia), Aristichthys nobilis (Bighead carp) are completely banned for breeding for the time being ;

Provided that the State Government may, from time to time, specify, by notification in the official Gazette, the name of species breeding of which shall be banned for the interest of protection of the endemic species, as may be deemed necessary. Species of fish to be covered under this Act

Section 8, The Assam Fish Seed Act, 2005 (Act 14 of 2005).