High demand accelerates trout fish breeding in Kashmir

The fisheries department in Jammu and Kashmir has speeded up the breeding of trout fish to meet the demands of people from India and other countries like Bhutan.

Project officer, Department of Fisheries, Asifa Khan, said they have to supply healthy eggs to farmers and meet requirements.

"We do breeding because we have to supply seeds (eggs) to our government unit and also to the private famers. We have almost one thousand private units in the state who are being supplied the seeds and healthy and good seeds is supplied to the private farmers at the right time so breeding is very important for that purpose and also we have to meet out the demands of some states of India and also some countries like Bhutan," said Khan

The breeding of trout fish started in November and was on in full swing in the Dachigam National Park for better results in fish production.

The Kashmir Valley is famous for trout fish and the breeding is known to be the most important part of the production as a small mistake can also affect in the fish production.

During breeding, eggs of the fishes are kept in their monitoring cells.

The duration of breeding is four to five months and suitable time for breeding starts from November and concludes in March.

The Department of Fisheries were monitoring the eggs cautiously to increase the trout production in the valley.

Kashmir was once dubbed the Switzerland of the east. It was once a Mecca for climbers, skiers, honeymooners and filmmakers drawn to the state's soaring peaks, fruit orchards and timber houseboats bobbing on Dal Lake in Srinagar.

Planeloads of India's upwardly mobile middle classes have visited the picture postcard-perfect Kashmir Valley this summer, making it the busiest tourist season since the armed revolt began in 1989.