Unidentified disease affecting trout remains undiagnosed for years, leading to mass fish kills
BALACOT:
The once profitable trout fish farming industry in Bhunja – a center of natural beauty and cold water resources in the Kaghan Valley – has plunged into a serious crisis due to prolonged neglect by the government and the Department of Fisheries.
The devastating floods of the past two years have not only damaged general infrastructure, but also destroyed the water channels and ponds of dozens of fish farms. To date, no official financial assistance has been provided for their restoration.
To compound the crisis, an unidentified disease affecting trout remained undiagnosed for several years, leading to massive fish kills and heavy financial losses for farmers.
Most of the fish farms in Bhunja were initially established under government ADP schemes. However, local farmers report that despite the presence of a government hatchery in Shino Jared, trout seed remains unavailable.
As a result, farmers are forced to source seeds from Gilgit-Baltistan and Swat, where they are sold at much higher prices. Added to this are high transportation costs and losses caused by seed mortality en route, amounting to losses of several hundred thousand rupees.
In many areas of Bhunja, flood-damaged water channels have yet to be repaired, disrupting water supply, while fish ponds remain in a dilapidated state. This made trout farming less and less viable.
Faced with growing losses and unrecoverable investments, several farmers have already left their business, dealing a heavy blow to the local economy.
