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Kathmandu Thursday July 12, 2001 Ashadh 28, 2058.
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Fishery prospects
The perennial snow-fed rivers throughout the
country and small lakes scattered across the middle part and ideal ponds in the Terai belt
hold a great prospect for the development of fishery.
However, this great prospect has been tapped
only in a minuscule scale to date. Due to negligence of government and concerned sectors,
a number of water bodies such as rivers, lakes, reservoirs, pounds, swamps and paddy
fields, wherein fish can be reared in abundance, are being wasted. It is indeed high time
the government came out with proper measures to develop fishery in the country.
The snow-fed rivers are ideal for various types
of trouts. The attraction of trout fishing as a sport in Nepal’s rivers can bring in
a sizable number of foreign tourists, widening the horizon of the tourism industry. The
development of fishery can also generate employment opportunities.
Among the total of 186 species, 59 native and 2
exotic species have been identified as cold water fish of commercial value. The most
important indigenous cold water fish species are Katla, Snow trout and Sahari. They are
excellent from the economic and fishing point of view.
Brown and rainbow trouts are being studied for
commercial production. The other three commercially high value warm water species -- grass
carp, silver carp and bighead carp -- are being cultured. Currently, studies are also
being undertaken for the commercial production of three high value indigenous cold water
fish species namely, Asala, Katla and Mahsaseer.
R B Tamrakar
Kathmandu |
