Hundreds of ponds marketable fish, imported hatchery breeding flashed in speedy water
Javed Khan
Peshawar
A booming industry of Trout fish farming flushed by heavy flood along with destroying natural fish fauna of all types in district Swat.
Speaking to Lead Pakistan the president of the Trout fish farms association district Swat Rasheed Khan said that out of registered 200 trout fish farms more than 160 damaged completely.
He said that the forms washed away by floods contained hundreds of ponds of marketable fish, imported hatchery and were in the last stage of breeding.
Farmers of the association said “damages our farms structure could have been mitigated if the Fisheries Department had carried out an awareness campaign before the flood.”
Falak Naz, owner of three trout fish farms in Matta tehsil who has been connected with the business since 2014, said that the recent spell of heavy rain followed by extensive flood resulted in heavy financial losses for him.
“The structure and complete stock of the fish have flushed in the speedy water.”
He said that stocking activities of Trout fish and other fish fauna carry out in glacial lakes, streams and water flowing in the different valleys. After the 2009 flood with help of public private partnership the district Swat saw a gradual uplift in trout and other indigenous fish industry but the recent flooding, land sliding and flash flood again left the livelihood of thousands of families insecure.
Ameer Hamza, Deputy Director Fishery department Peshawar Said that on the direction of provincial government the department of Fishery has initiated the process assesses the damages to trout and other species farms in district Swat.
He said that the department working out with association to prepare a complete report regarding recent flood damages to the trout fish industry.
Trout Culture Training Centre Maydain Swat official’s requesting anonymity said that trout fish farms in the center have been preserved but walls and water courses are partially damaged.
They said the ongoing flood in the district Swat has washed almost all local fish farms and once again the industry of trout fish in the region collapsed by the extensive flood.
