Swat flood deals severe blow to trout fish farming

The recent heavy rains and subsequent floods not only took lives in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkwa (K-P) and destroyed properties but also affected their livelihood in the worst-hit areas, according to fish farmers in the Swat district.

They said that the popular tourist destination of Madyan, in Swat Valley, which is also famous for its trout fish, is among the affected areas, where more than 300,000 trout fish died in the recent floods, washing away millions of rupees of investment of the farmers.

Trout is the common name for a number of species of freshwater fish closely related to salmon and char. Trout farming was introduced in Madyan in the early 1960s with seedlings imported from Kaghan valley. The fish then spread to upper reaches of the very cold water of the Swat river.

“Fish weighing about 20,000 to 30,000 kilogrammes have died because of the recent floods,” Usman Khan, who owns a trout farm in Madyan, told The Express Tribune. “More than 5,000 fish in a fish farm in Tirat were also swept away in the flood, along with 50,000 fries,” he added.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Usman Khan also pointed out several other fish farms in the Tehsil, where the flood caused extensive damage. He and other farmers said that at least 10 fish farms, including those in Cheel, were also destroyed or damaged in the recent rains and flooding.

The locals said that floodwater entered ponds of trout, endangering their lives. As a result, the farmers started selling the fish in haste to salvage what was left. “The fish which was sold a few days ago at Rs2,000 to Rs3,000 per kg in Kalam, and other areas of Swat is now being sold at Rs500 per kg,” said a local.

They said that because of landslide most of the roads to and from Madyan were blocked. And also because of the non-availability of transport, delivery of fish to the market became impossible, which caused huge losses to the farm owners.

Another fish farmer said that the Turkish-style cage fish farm project of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government was also affected by the recent flood, adding that large trout cages built near Dabir dam were also swept away.

The flood also washed away the offices of Rs10 million project, effectively closing down the project itself, the farmers said. They have appealed to the government to compensate the losses caused to the fish industry of Swat.