Balakot:
Trout fish farming in the Kaghan valley is on the verge of collapse due to the government’s neglect and lack of support.
After last year’s devastating floods, the trout fish farmers have suffered large losses, with millions of rupees worth fishing perished. Despite the extent of the damage, the government has failed to take any meaningful steps towards the restoration of the affected farms.
The fluctuating water temperatures and frequent disease outbreaks have further aggravated the situation, causing severe losses for those involved in this once-triggering industry. However, farmers remain deprived of any support or supervision from the government or the fishing department.
Last July, flash flooding caused massive destruction in the bhoonja valley and wiped out several trout holdings. Today, most of these farms are abandoned without rehabilitation efforts that have begun despite the fact that many of them were built through government -funded annual development programs (ADPs).
Sources reveal that farmers trying to revive their operations on a self-help basis are forced to buy fish seeds from SWAT or Gilgit-Baltista, which incur almost four times higher than usual due to transport and limited local supply. At the local level there is no facility to support seed supply.
Kaghan -Dalen has two trout odors – one at Shinu Jarid, who is operational, and another in Lohar Banda, which was built for the price of millions, but now lies deserted, a shining example of negligence from fishing.
Trout farming, which was once a lucrative company that offers employment options for many in the region, has now transformed into a loss -making venture because of the lack of state support. Last year’s mysterious disease outbreaks and floods caused farmers’ major losses. This year, the crisis continues as fish seeds remain inaccessible, and convince farmers to travel long distances to buy it.
