The Aquaculture Sector in Nepal
Nepal is a landlocked country located north of the Indian
border, with no sea access and therefore it is heavily reliant on inland marine
resources to meet and sustain the domestic demand for fish and fish-based
products.
A predominantly Hindu nation, more than 80% of Nepal’s
population are Hindus, fish-based protein is an important source of nutrition
and sustenance, given the lower intakes of red meat Hindu nations have when
compared to other countries.
Aquaculture in Nepal started in the 1940s, so it’s by no
means a new industry, but progress has been slow, stalled or hampered, by a
lack of R&D in the sector. Freshwater fish are normally cultivated in
natural ponds and the most popular species to be bred in captivity are carps
and carp variants, possibly because they are easier to cultivate in controlled
environments when compared to other species of fish, and over the years, carp
poly-culture in ponds has become the most viable type of aquaculture in Nepal
and currently accounts for over 90% of total production.
Carps however thrive in warm or lukewarm waters, and therefore
a majority of the country’s aquaculture farms are located in the south of the
country where conditions are warmer than the
north.
Over half a million people are employed in Nepal’s
aquaculture sector and as far as the landlocked nation is concerned it is by no
means a small sector, and those employed in the sector earn more than others
who are employed in similar jobs in other sectors and that is an indication
that the aquaculture sector in Nepal is faring well and generates at the very
least a decent, if not better return on investment.
The aquaculture sector in Nepal is principally run by female
employees. Over 60% of the workers involved in the symbiotic cultivation of
fish in Nepal are women, and this is an interesting facet of the aquaculture
sector in Nepal in that it is a sustainable employment generator for women in
rural areas.
Nepal has successfully implemented a carp breeding program
and the success has encouraged those in the industry to try the same techniques
with other species of fish in the hope of achieving similar results. At present
there are seven different species of fish with different feeding habits that
are farmed in Nepal.
The success of Nepal’s aquaculture program prompted the ADB
to provide financial assistance to the sector, and post 1980, there was a boom
in Nepal’s aquaculture sector. The country diversified from restricting
its farming capabilities to warm water stock and ventured into cold water
breeds, namely trout. The species is popular in most aquaculture nations but it
hasn’t fared well or has enjoyed only limited success in Asia.
Caged fish farming, a common method of aquaculture is
popular in the Pokhara Valley, best known for its placid lakes and meandering
rivers, located approximately 200 km west of the nation’s capital Kathmandu and
at an altitude of 827 m. There are 7 major lakes in Pokhara combined with a
multitude of smaller lakes and most of them are ideal for aquaculture.
In addition to that Nepal’s aquaculture sector also includes
rice field fish farming. Rice fields are covered in water for a certain period
of time (3 - 6 months) before the paddy matures and hatchlings are released
into the rice fields, just after the rice fields are flooded every year. The
fish grow naturally, with almost little or no care, feeding on insects and
other fresh water dwellers like tadpoles.
Other aquaculture variations include farming in tanks and
containers, for example concrete tanks, and unlike caged aquaculture which
requires netting a pond, farming in containers is relatively easy and can be
done in the backyard. Certain varieties of fresh water fish for example Tilapia
are simple and easy to farm.
The water however has to be recycled continuously, and the
filters have to be cleaned regularly. Disease remains the blight of the
aquaculture sector and the water has to be treated periodically.
It is not uncommon to farm in multiple containers
simultaneously to ensure easier management and to control the PH levels of the
water. Extreme PH levels either on the higher end or the lower end are
unsuitable for most aquatic organisms. Low PH levels accelerate the release of
metals from rocks or sediments and high PH levels can harm fish by denaturing
cellular membranes.
Farmers have to be vigilant and they have to guard against
bacteria, viruses, fungi, algae, and other microbes that sometimes grow on the
scales of the fish. The water has to be regularly treated with antimicrobials
or antibiotics, i.e. chemicals designed to either kill or inhibit the growth of
pathogenic bacteria but have no effect on higher level organisms and these
microorganisms present the biggest challenge to cultivating fish in open tanks
or containers.
Copyright © 2019 by Dyarne Jessica
Ward and Kathiresan Ramachanderam
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