Fish otolith ornaments make market debut
Otoliths are biomineralised ear stones that help fish hear and provide it a sense of balance; it is the first time ornaments from otoliths are being produced and sold in an organised manner in India
rnaments from fish otoliths, named ‘Sea gems’, have made a market debut, thanks to efforts of a group of enthusiastic fisherwomen in
Vizhinjam, trained by scientists from Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI).
The otolith ornaments crafted by fisherwomen under selfhelp group Sea Gems Mahila Sahrudam Group recently went on display at Kerala Arts and Crafts Village showroom in Kovalam, Thiruvananthapuram.
Fish otoliths are biomineralised ear stones
Oexhibited at CMFRI.
A file photo of earrings made of fish otoliths
that help fish hear and provide it a sense of balance. Otoliths are important in fish studies as they have speciesspecific shapes and grow throughout their life.
This is the first time ornaments from fish otoliths, known to the Romans and Egyptians as lucky stones and which continue to be used in countries like Brazil, are being produced and sold in an organised and sustainable manner in India, said CMFRI sources.
Sameena Naseer, who heads the Sea Gems MHG, said that CMFRI scientists Abdussamad and Surya S. explained the group, all drawn from the coastal community in Vizhinjam, about otoliths and their unique qualities.
A score of fishermen expressed their desire to be trained and brought together for a training programme.
“The results have been a pleasant surprise. The fact that these ornaments are from a unique raw material makes it all the better”, she said.
T.U. Sreeprasad, CEO of Crafts Village, said that the idea is unique because it has come out of a research institute in support of fisherwomen.