Fisheries have been practiced in Nepal for a long time and have a strong tradition in Nepal. Aquaculture is a relatively new activity and was started in early 1950’s. Over the past 20-25 years there have been a significant increase in the production of fish and the annual per capita fish consumption have increased significantly from 0.330 kg per person per year in 1982 up to 1.753 kg per person per year in 2006. There is some export of fish and the export is increasing but still not high. Fisheries and aquaculture is not a main agricultural activity in Nepal but it is an important supplement to the daily food in rural areas. The Nepal Agriculture Perspective Plan (APP) has categorized fisheries and aquaculture in Nepal as a small but important and promising sub-sector of agriculture contributing about 2.47 percent of agricultural gross domestic product (AGDP). Fish is considered as good luck (Sagun) in Nepal and is acceptable for consumption by all groups.
Nepal is divided into three geographical regions namely the high altitude and colder mountainous region along the northern border of Nepal, the moderate climate medium
altitude hilly region in the central part and the southern region, the Terai-plain with low altitude and warm climatic conditions. Nepal is the second richest country in the world measure against freshwater resources and possesses about 2.27 percent of the world fresh water reserves (CBS 2005). Please see Figure 1 which is an outline of the three regions. Rivers are one of the major source of capture fishery, contributing almost 50% of total captured fish production and a large number of fishermen and their families are involve in capture fishery which provide income and partial employment for them. Out of total 818 500 ha of total water surface area, about 6 000 rivers and rivulets cover 395 000 ha (or 48 percent). There are also some fisheries activities in the lakes especially around Pokhara valley but the main capture fisheries production is from the rivers. Fishing activities in irrigation channels, rice fields, swampy areas and ghols is also a significant source of capture fisheries production. Aquaculture is mainly done in the Terai-plain consisting of carp production in ponds. However, there are also aquaculture done in cages in lakes and reservoirs in the hilly region as well as raceway production of Rainbow trout also in the hilly region. There is about 11 100 have of scattered swamps and Ghols in the marginal forest areas in the Terai region. This land is considered waste land and not useful for agriculture activities. Irrigated rice field covers about 398 000 ha but rice-fish culture is done only 1 percent and is currently producing only 111 MT. Warmwater carp culture is the main practice and concentrated in the terai of southern region, though coldwater fish culture also started recently in small scale in the hilly region and has shown high potential for its promotion.
#Fisheries #Aquaculture #NepalAgriculturePlan
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Publisher:
APFIC, FAO
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(2008
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Type / Script:
Progress Report
in English
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Keywords:
DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL, FISHERIES, FISHERY EXPLOITATION, AQUACULTURE, MARKETS, FARMER, CAPACITY BUILDING, CONSERVATION, AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS, AGRICULTURAL INNOVATIONS, AGRICULTURAL PLANNING, AGRICULTURAL POLICY, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE, ECONOMIC GROWTH, INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT, LOCAL DEVELOPMENT
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Thematic Group:
FAO
:
Food and Agriculture Organization
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Thesaurus:
04.01.01
- Agricultural Economics And Policy; Rural Sociology
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Reference Link:
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