What is lab-grown fish?

About Lab-grown fish

• It is merely a type of lab-grown — or cultivated/ cultured — meat.
• Seafood without the sea is ‘grown’ in the same way as other cultivated meats are grown — without the need to raise and kill an animal.
• Process: Cultivated fish meat is produced by isolating specific cells from fish and growing them in a laboratory setting using media that is free of animal components.
• The final product is expected to replicate the flavour, texture, and nutritional qualities of ‘real’ fish meat.
• Role of Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute
  • It will focus on the genetic, biochemical, and analytical work related to the project.
  • In its cell culture lab, it will carry out research on early cell line development of high-value marine fish species — a process that involves isolating and cultivating fish cells for further research and development.
  • It will initially focus on developing cell-based meat of fish such as pomfret, kingfish, and seerfish.
• Recently, a number of countries have made great strides in this pioneering technology.
• Israel is the frontrunner, followed by Singapore, the United States and China.

Q1) What is the mandate of CMFRI?

Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute’s mandate is to conduct researches on exploited , under - and unexploited marine fisheries resources and fisheries oceanography , to advise on rational exploitation and make forecast of abundance , development and upgradation of technologies for maximising production through mariculture and conducting teaching , training and extension programmes for development of human resources in fisheries .

Source: How to grow seafood outside the sea — and why a Govt lab in Kochi has taken up this project