60 lakh annual trout fish production in J&K

Srinagar, Sep 12 (UNI) The annual production of trout fish from all farms in Jammu and Kashmir has touched 60 lakh with the Fisheries Department earning a revenue of more than Rs 87 lakh during 2006-07.

In view of the increased demand of trout fish in the state, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Legislative Assembly has directed the Fisheries Department to take steps to increase its production vis-a-vis revenue generation from its proceeds.

The Committee also asked for identifying more such sources where the feasibility of trout fish could be possible.

The PAC, comprising chairman Mian Altaf Ahmed and members Raman Bhalla, Mula Ram, Abdul Rehman Veeri, Sartaj Madni and Mohammad Aslam Khan, inspected the main source of trout fish at Kokernag and took stock of the activities there.

The Committee evinced keen interest in activities carried out by the department in the farm and got acquainted with the technology adopted for producing the rare species of trout fish.

Briefing the PAC about the programmes of the Department, Fisheries department, Director T Angchook said the trout fish farming project at Kokernag had commenced in 1985 at a cost of Rs 5 crore with the financial assistance from the European Economic Community (EEC).

''This farm produces about ten lakh trout fish seeds annually which is presently having two hatcheries,'' he added.

Mr Angchook said the mother project with the initial capacity of one lakh rainbow trout eyed ova imported from the UK had survival rate of 85 per cent and subsequently the stocks were raised up to the brood stock level. Several rearing units were set up across the state where seeds of rainbow trout were stocked in adequate number.

He said the department was facing constraint in raising trout stock due to non-availability of feed. Subsequently, a feed mill had been established in the premises of the project, he added.

With this, the Department has been able to raise brown trout at the project by formulating feed for this specie, Mr Angchook said.

At present, the department has 28 outlets at different places in the state and earned over Rs 87 lakh during 2006-07 with the annual production of trout fish being about 60 lakh, he added.

To give a boost to the development of various species of fishes, the department had provided a hundred per cent subsidy assistance to the unemployed youth to establish their own units under the Prime Minister's Reconstruction Programme, the Director said.

A large number of youth were coming forward to take the benefits of the scheme, he added.

UNI