The Economic Survey report for the year 2023-24 revealed that the total fish production in the state dropped substantially in 2023 for the first time in more than a decade, mainly because of the unprecedented floods.
As per the report, the total fish production decreased from around 17,026 metric tonne (MT) in 2022 to 11,377 MT in 2023, a drop of 33.4%.The total monetary value of the fish which stood at Rs 261.5 crore in 2022 also came down to Rs 179.49 crore in 2023, a drop of 50%.
According to officials from the department of fisheries, the reason for the decline in fish production is mass flooding last year. “The unprecedented floods last year washed away many fish farms and destroyed breeding and feeding grounds of the fish. The destruction was at a massive scale that caused losses to not only farm owners but also impacted the overall fish production,” said Bhupinder Kumar, deputy director, fisheries department.
“The floods also affected the fish production in the reservoirs of dams like Bhakra and Pong as the flooded waters brought along huge amounts of silt that destroyed not only the fish but also their eco system. Hopefully, we will have better fish production this year,” said Kumar.
There were massive floods in almost all the rivers and flash floods in the rivulets during the monsoon months of 2023. Most of the private fish farms, which had been set up at the rivulets were washed away in many districts, especially in Kullu and Mandi.
Last year, the Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute (CIFRI) had also blamed muck-dumping in Bhakra dam as one of the main reasons behind substantial drop in fish production in its reservoir over the years.
It’s for the first time since 2012-13 that the fish production has fallen in the state. The state had recorded the highest fish production of 17,026 MT in 2022.
Bhakra, Pong, Chamera, Ranjit Sagar and Kol dams are a major source of fish production in the state with around 6,020 fishermen depending directly on dam reservoirs for their livelihood.
There are over 50 fish species that are produced and found in the waters of Himachal Pradesh, but the trout is the most popular of them all. However, trout production has also been decreasing for the last many years due to a number of reasons, including massive construction activities near rivers, rapid urbanisation and illegal and destructive means of fishing.
The trout production in the state has dropped gradually from the highest 19.18 tonne in 2012-13 to 7.72 tonne in 2023-24. Introduced by the British in the 1890s, two trout varieties are found in Himachal Pradesh — brown trout (Salmo Trutta Fario) and rainbow trout (Salmo Gairdneri).
