Srinagar, July 8: While Kashmir sees a decline in native fish species, the production of trout has reached 2100 tonnes in the valley.
The indigenous fish species of Kashmir have shown a sharp decline, resulting in some of them becoming “endangered and threatened.”
At the same time, there has been a considerable increase in the production of trout fish in the valley. According to official figures, the production of trout fish was 650 tonnes in 2019, which increased to 2100 tonnes, indicating around a 300 percent increase in trout production over the last few years.
In Anantnag district, many fisheries farms have been established by people with the support of the government. In June 2018, Anantnag district was declared the trout fish district of India.
A senior official of the Fisheries Department said there are over 200 private fish farms in Anantnag district alone. “This sector has huge potential and is also being introduced in other parts,” he said.
The official said fish culture has a huge scope across the world.
“The trout introduced in Kashmir is a cold-water fish. It can be reared anywhere in the world where the temperature remains below 20 degrees Celsius and needs running water,” he said.
“Trout has a success rate wherever it has a favorable temperature, in and outside India. Rainbow trout was introduced in Kashmir over 100 years ago. Since then, it has been produced in Kashmir and its seeds are also supplied outside,” he said.
Brought to Kashmir from Europe over a century ago, trout is being introduced in various parts of the country.
Various areas across the country including Shillong, Shimla, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and the neighboring country Nepal are rearing trout fish in their respective places that have been transported from Kashmir.
