Fisheries department to expand trout farms in Kashmir

Kathua (J-K), Aug.21 (ANI): The Jammu and Kashmir's Department of Fisheries plans to set up trout farms and encourage privatisation with an aim to earn profits and increase production.

The state government has taken the initiative to promote trout fish culture in Kathua District.

The district is hoping to develop into a fishing hub.

Assistant Director, Fisheries Development Department, Gopal Krishan, said the department is also encouraging privatisation of farms to boost production.

"We are encouraging privatisation of the trout farms. We have a trout-rearing unit in Khurdwah area, which is nearly 18 kilometers ahead of it. The unit consists of seven pairs of American Raceways where we conduct fish rearing and produce table-sized fish and later on sell it. This year the government has increased the rates," said Krishan.

The state fisheries department had set up a trout farm in the Bani block of the district.

Situated on the banks of River Sewa, the temperature and the nature of waters in Bani are ideal for fish farming.

Krishan also said that the department had sent a proposal to the provincial government for setting up of five to six farms for trout fishing this year.

"We have sent a proposal to the higher authorities for the setting up of five to six trout farms this year and this will depend on the schemes introduced by the government. We will try to take benefit from more and more schemes for trout farming," he added.

A trout fish farmer, Arif Hussain, hailed the efforts of the government and said that this would help them to earn their livelihood.

"We express our gratitude to the government and the officers, as we are able to earn profits and we urge them to set up more farms, so that more and more people benefit from it," said Hussain.

It is likely that more angling opportunities will be created and they would prove beneficial for the tourism industry.

The expansion of the farms is likely to create more employment opportunities for the youth in the region.

Trout, both brown and the rainbow species, are a coldwater fish found aplenty in the Rivers Beas, Sutlej and Ravi flowing through Jammu from the upper reaches of Himalayan range. (ANI)