1. Current situation.
During the present mission, the fish hatchery consultant toured the cold water areas of AJK and Northern Areas, visiting most of the existing trout farms/hatcheries, and surveying springs, rivers, streams and lakes to assess their potential for development as trout farm sites. Note was also taken of the apparent suitability of waters as spawning and growing areas for wild trout populations. To complete the picture of current trout farming activities in Pakistan, the consultant also briefly visited the other provinces in which there is activity in this sector, i.e. North West Frontier Province and Punjab.
Trout culture development in the Northern Areas is entirely under the control of the Department of Fisheries. There is currently no private sector involvement.
Historically, the interest of government has concentrated only on production of juvenile trout, both browns and rainbows, for release into natural waters to enhance wild populations. Some small-scale commercial fishing is done using cast nets and longlines, but the main purpose of stock enhancement programmes has been to improve the sports fishing, with the aim of attracting more national and foreign tourists to the region. Consequently there is negligible production of farmed trout of market size, and only fish intended for use as broodstock are normally held on past the first year of life.
There are currently 10 trout hatcheries/farms in the Northern Areas, none of them older than 15 years. However, due to various technical and financial problems, none of them is producing up to target, and some have fallen into such a poor state of repair that they must be considered virtually derelict (though they are kept open, holding a token stock of a few dozen fish). Apart from deficiencies of design and continual lack of funds to supply even basic necessities, especially fish feed, a major problem for many of these units is their remote location. Once off the main Karakoram Highway, which is the lifeline of the region, roads in the Northern Areas are typically very poor, often passable only by small 4-wheel-drive vehicles, and prone to frequent closure due to land-slips, washouts and snow. Further, until 1991, when it was given a 4 × 4 pickup purchased from UNDP funds in anticipation of the present project, the Department of Fisheries was virtually without reliable transport with which to service the trout farms or provide mobility for the personnel responsible for fisheries protection work in this vast area. Under the circumstances, the Department of Fisheries is to be congratulated for maintaining the degree of activity which it has.
The consultant visited all the existing units, and the following is a brief description of their facilities and condition:
Gilgit District.
a) Kaulot trout hatchery. Due to its proximity to Gilgit town, this is the easiest of the area's hatcheries to service. It has therefore been built up into the Department's main production unit for both brown and rainbow trout fingerlings.
The farm is sited on the Kargah River. At the time of the consultant's visits the river was carrying at least 2m3/sec of good, clear water at 14°C. According to hatchery staff, the minimum flow occurs in winter (Jan-Feb), when volumes may fall to approx. 1m3/sec. The water is normally clear, except during the spring snow-melt (June-July), when substantial loads of sand and silt are brought down by floods. This pattern is typical of most trout waters fed from surface sources, not only in Northern Areas but in the whole of northern Pakistan. Unfortunately the spring silt loading coincides with the critical period of trout fry hatching and rearing, and fish mortalities often occur as a result. It will therefore be necessary to install filtration systems for hatchery water supplies for use during this season. The temperature of the Kargah River was said to range from a minimum of 4°C to a maximum of 15°C, though few records have been kept.
The Kaulot hatchery is supplied with a second, but very limited, source of water from a small spring. In August 1991 this was giving 18 l/sec at 9°C, but it is understood that flows are much reduced during the winter and spring seasons when they are most needed for egg incubation and fry rearing. Nevertheless the spring is a valuable addition to the farm's water supply.
Currently the hatchery is supplied by water from the spring via a 120m earth canal, and from the river via 180m lengths of 4" plastic pipe from a 3 × 3 × 3m concrete supply tank. However, at the time of the visit only one of the four plastic pipes was intact, the others having been broken by rock falls. The concrete supply tank receives its water via an open earth canal approx. 30m long, and a concrete culvert underneath the road.
Road access is possible only as far as the concrete supply tank. The road from Gilgit is a rough jeepable track. Vehicular access is restricted by two suspension bridges, which are wide enough only for small 4-wheel-drive vehicles and have weight limits of 2 tons.
Kaulot hatchery has the following facilities:
In August 1991, the raceways housed about a hundred broodfish and approx. 3,000 yearlings. Only a few hundred fry remained from the year's hatch, most fish having been lost during the spring floods. The staff stated the existing capacity at 150,000 eggs, giving 75,000 yearlings, though it is doubtful this target has ever been met. The farm employs a staff of four.
b) Kargah trout farm. This unit is situated on the Kargah River approx. 5km downstream of Kaulot hatchery. Both the narrow bridges on the road are in between the two units, and consequently Kargah can be reached by truck from Gilgit. Built in 1980, the farm has the following facilities:
In August 1991 the farm contained only a few hundred broodfish and 2-year-olds being reared for use as brooders, and employed a staff of four.
c) Naltar hatchery. Situated in the Naltar Valley, this small hatchery is in an extremely dilapidated condition, and disused. Its spring water supply is very limited, and the small potential of the site does not justify the expenditure necessary to bring the unit back into operation. It would therefore be sensible to discount it in future planning.
Ghizer District.
Gahkuch hatchery. Located near the Gupis River, this small hatchery is supplied by a spring delivering about 5 l/sec of good quality water. Though built only 8 years ago, the hatchery room has already collapsed and is unusable. Two concrete raceways 20 × 2.5 × 1m currently hold a few brown and rainbow brooders, and three smaller raceways are unused. There are also several very small earth ponds intended for fingerling production, but empty. Planned annual fingerling production was 30,000 to supply local streams and lakes, but this target has never been met. Accommodation for the two staff, and storage space, is provided on an adjacent site.
Skardu District.
Hosho hatchery. This is currently the only trout farm in Skardu District, although the region is perhaps the best endowed with good quality accessible waters in the Northern Areas.
The site of Hosho hatchery is blessed with the best source of spring water seen by the consultant in Pakistan. In July and August 1991 the spring was delivering around 1m3/sec of crystal clear water at about 15°C. The spring forms a small, ca. 4,000m2 lake behind a retaining concrete dam, and water leaves this via several pipes (used for water supply to local people, including the nearby airport), a concrete spillway into the natural stream bed, and an earth canal. The existing small hatchery takes its water supply from the canal. Hatchery staff reported that the water flow is considerably reduced during spring (March-April), perhaps down to a minimum of 200 l/sec.
The small mud-built hatchery building at the site contains nine 3 × 0.5 × 0.4m concrete hatching/fry troughs in its floor, but the roof has collapsed and the hatchery is now unusable. Outside, two square concrete ponds 2.5 × 2.5 × 0.8m deep, and one raceway 5 × 2.5 × 0.8m, hold only a few broodstock. Small earth ponds have several hundred fingerlings. In 1991, approx. 15,000 eggs were produced, but most of these died either at the egg or fry stage of development.
The existing facilities at Hosho are not worth keeping, and the location should be regarded as a “green field site”. However, the excellent road access, proximity to Skardu town, power supply, availability of plenty of gently-sloping land, and above all a supply of spring water which is unique in the region, make this an ideal site for development as a trout hatchery/on-growing unit.
Ghanche District.
a) Bara hatchery. Situated 96km from Skardu (about 3 hours drive) and 5km from the district headquarters of Khaplu, Bara hatchery is close to the Shyoke River, a major tributary of the Indus. The small unit is supplied by a spring delivering about 7 l/sec of 12–14°C water. The unit has five concrete raceways, the largest two of which are 15 × 2.5 × 1m deep, and five 2m2 earth ponds. A small hatchery house contains six 1.5 × 0.4 × 0.3m concrete troughs for incubation and fry rearing. In 1991 approx. 20,000 brown and 5,000 rainbow eggs were produced, but most fry either died or were released. A few broodfish of both species are held at the unit. Five men are employed to run the farm and for fishery protection duties in the area. Though staff are keen to increase the farm's activities into market fish production, the very limited supply of water and space precludes further expansion at the site. However, there is a little better scope at other, nearby water sources.
b) Mehdiabad trout farm is still under construction. It draws water from Mehdiabad Stream, which has a year-round flow of over 1,000 l/sec of normally good-quality water (though subject to the usual turbidity problems in spring).
The four 6 × 3 × 0.5m and six 3 × 1.5 × 0.5m concrete raceways are fed by a rather strange and convoluted series of concrete channels, which are also suitable for fish production. Though a small hatchery room has been constructed, this may not now be used. Instead the unit will probably get fingerlings from the proposed new hatchery to be developed by PAK/91/008 at Hosho.
Diamer District.
a) Daril hatchery, Chichley. This newly-constructed unit is reached by jeep track along the steep-sided Daril Valley. It has a good spring water supply only a few metres from the unit, which in August 1991 was delivering over 100 l/sec at 11°C. According to staff, the quantity is constant year-round. The spring water is collected in a 2 × 2 × 2m concrete supply tank, from where it is distributed to the hatchery in steel pipes and to raceways via an open concrete channel. The hatchery is equipped with six small concrete troughs for egg incubation and fry rearing, but these have not yet been used. Outside are two concrete raceways 15 × 3 × 1m deep, three raceways averaging 8 × 3 × 1m, and eight 2 × 1 × 0.5m. The larger raceways are currently being used to grow-out a few hundred rainbow trout supplied as 50g fingerlings in spring from Kaulot hatchery. Market fish will be sold locally and on the roadside of the nearby Karakoram Highway. There is also staff accommodation and storage available on site.
b) Kharbe (Astore) hatchery. This hatchery is of a similar design, and in similar condition, to that described above at Gahkuch.
c) Khanburry Fisheries Station has no hatchery facility. It is equipped with one 33 × 14 × 1m deep pond having concrete sides and an earth bottom. The pond is currently used to hold a few common carp. There is also a stone-sided pond 15 × 5 × 1m deep, and four 4 × 1.5 × 0.5m concrete raceways, all of which are empty. The unit draws its water supply via an earth canal from the adjacent Khanburry River, This has similar characteristics to other clean surface waters in the area, and flow rate in August was at least 1,000 l/sec. Temperature is said to have an annual range of 11–18°C. Road (track) access is only as far as the opposite bank of the river, and people and supplies must be winched across in a bucket suspended beneath a cable.
As described in the report of consultant I. Cowx, the most important cold water regions of AJK are in the catchments of the northern rivers Jhelum and Neelum. The best areas for trout are in the valley of the Neelum north of Muzaffarabad. This river is very close to the present ceasefire line between Pakistani and Indian held Kashmir, and in parts itself forms the border between opposing armies. Unfortunately exchanges of fire are common in this area, making movement of FAO/UNDP staff hazardous and at times forbidden.
The Department of Fisheries of AJK owns four small trout farms/hatcheries in the Neelum Valley. Three of these are in areas to which access is restricted due to the security situation. Only one, at Pattika, is always accessible to government and international staff. These units are currently the only trout farms operating in AJK. They are described below:
Dawarian. Situated 110km north of the AJK capital Muzaffarabad, Dawarian was established in 1985 at an elevation of 1615m. Access is via a jeep track. Water supply is from an adjacent spring which delivers ca.40 l/sec of clean water all-year-round. Temperature is 14–16°C in summer, 9°C in winter. Another spring capable of supplying ca. 50 l/sec is available 500m from the hatchery.
The unit has two buildings: one 3-roomed structure for office and staff accommodation, the other containing the hatchery and storage. Four staff are employed.
The hatchery houses six 3 × 1 × 0.35m concrete troughs, which hold trays capable of incubating 300,000 eggs. Outside twelve 5 × 3 × 1.5m concrete tanks are provided for broodstock and fingerling rearing. In summer 1991 the unit was stocked with about 200 brooders, 5,000 fingerlings and 500 market-sized fish. High fry and fingerling mortalities are attributed to feed quality problems: dead fish show liver tumours.
Kutan. 75km from Muzaffarabad on the Jagran Stream, this unit was established in 1982 at 1560m. Access is currently on foot only, due to the collapse of the approach track and bridge during winter 1990-1. There is no electricity to the site. Water is supplied from the Jagran Stream via a 500m pipeline. The water is often turbid, and has a temperature ranging from 18°C in summer to 7–9 °C in winter.
The hatchery building contains eight 3 × 1 × 0.35m concrete troughs with wooden egg trays. Outside some filtration is done through a concrete 2 × 2 × 1.5m tank. 18 concrete tanks (12 of 4 × 2,5 × 1m, six of 6 × 4.5 × 2m) are provided for fish.
The stock held during summer 1991 is very small, comprising only about 110 trout brooders and a few grass carp. Mortalities of fry are always high due to muddy water and poor food.
Salkhala. 76km from Muzaffarabad and at an altitude of 1,202m, this unit built in 1974 is the oldest in AJK.
Though a spring delivers ca.20 l/sec, this water is permanently turbid. The 2 × 2 × 1m filter does not function well. Water temperatures range from 11 to 20°C. The hatchery building is equipped with six 3 × 0.5 × 0.35m concrete troughs with plastic egg trays. Four 3 × 6.5 × 1.5m, two 3 × 8 × 1.5m, and one 3 × 2.5 × 1.5m concrete tanks are provided for fish, but in summer 1991 the farm held only about 70 broodfish. All fry died due to high water turbidity, but are to be replaced with fingerlings from Pattika.
Pattika. This hatchery has been constructed and brought into production during the PA phase of project PAK/88/048. Though the water supply from two small springs is very limited, totalling no more than 10 l/sec, the unit has the advantages of being out of the “danger area” of the Neelum Valley and close to Muzaffarabad. Most important of all, the hatchery has been designed, built and run by an experienced fish culturist: the project's CTA. This has enabled the hatchery to produce juvenile rainbow trout in numbers many times greater than the total output of all the other farms in AJK put together.
Pattika is built in two parts approx. 500m apart, each based on one of the spring water supplies. At one site, a disused restaurant belonging to the Department of Forests has been brought into use as a temporary hatchery. During 1991, improvised incubator troughs and trays were used to hatch 50, 000 rainbow trout eggs imported from Denmark. Fry were first-fed in the troughs, and in two 1.5m diameter × 1m deep circular fibreglass fish tanks manufactured in Pakistan. At the other site, situated close to the pheasant nursery operated by the same department, four 4 × 1.5 × 1m deep concrete raceways have been constructed for fingerling rearing, and a further two are planned. There is also a shallow pool of approx. 100m2 above the raceways, and a single 1.5m diameter fibreglass tank.
Growth of fish has been very good, and in October 1991 Pattika holds approx. 15,000 fish averaging over 30g. Several thousand fish have also been transferred to other units. The farm has been useful as a demonstration and training facility during the project's PA year, and despite its small size has shown the improvements in fingerling survival and growth possible in AJK under good management.
Perhaps second only to the Northern Areas, NWFP has the best natural conditions in Pakistan for the development of trout farming, and the industry is more advanced here than elsewhere in the country. Trout culture has a history dating back to 1928, when Shinnu hatchery was established for brown trout fingerling production in the Kaghan Valley. This unit is still in operation, and will be rebuilt and developed under the Second Pakistan Aquaculture Development Project, financed by a loan from the Asian Development Bank. Rainbow trout was introduced in 1973 from Japan, and the Kamloop strain of rainbow from N. America in 1980.
There are currently seven operating hatcheries owned by government:
| Name | Fingerling production capacity |
| Shinnu (Kaghan) | 300,000 |
| Madyan (Swat) | 500,000 |
| Kalkot (Dir) | 100,000 |
| Jaghor (Chitral) | 120,000 |
| Bambarit (Chitral) | 130,000 |
| Aquaculture (Swat) | 100,000 |
| Dobair (Kohistan) | 100,000 |
Though the production from these units is certainly considerably less than their stated capacities, the hatcheries do produce a steady supply of fingerlings for on-growing in government farms, for sale to the private sector, and for release to enhance wild populations.
Private sector involvement in trout farming began only about four years ago, and can be in large part attributed to the good results of the first ADB initiative. In particular, the Madyan hatchery and on-growing facility at Swat has become a focus not only for commercial supply of fingerlings for private on-growing, but for training of aspiring government and private trout farmers in NWFP. The inclusion of plans for construction of a purpose-built training centre at the site as part of the second ADB programme will probably secure the status of this farm as the lead training centre in trout culture for the whole of Pakistan.
In summer 1991 there are nine registered private trout farms in NWFP, 7 in Swat District having a total output capacity of 30mt per year, and two at Abbottabad with 10mt capacity. Though there are not yet any private hatcheries in operation, several private farmers are in the process of building up their own broodstocks. The first of these is expected to produce substantial numbers of eggs during 1992.
Due to time constraints, the consultant was able to spend only a very short time in NWFP. Consequently it was only possible to visit the most important unit, i.e. the Madyan farm at Swat, and one private farm in the same vicinity. Notes on their facilities and operations follow:
Madyan. The unit's main source of water is the Jel River. This always carries abundant water at temperatures ranging from 2 to 15°C, but suffers from heavy siltation during spring. This siltation, and the losses of fry which sometimes result from it, is the biggest technical problem faced by the unit. Though the hatchery was built to make use of a small spring supply, the volume of water issuing from this has declined steadily over the years, to the extent that it is now of little value. There are now plans to use the municipal water supply for hatchery purposes.
The farm's hatchery takes in between 600,000 and 1 million rainbow trout eggs each year, some of which are imported. They are kept in American vertical incubators until they near hatch, then moved to small concrete troughs for hatching and first-feeding. The on-growing unit has concrete raceways of various sizes up to a maximum of 30 × 3 × 1m for culture of fingerlings, yearlings, market fish and broodstock. The farm is well organized, and produces its own pelleted feed on site using ingredients brought in from down-country. Feed cost is estimated at about Rs 14/kg.
Approx. 10mt of market-size (250g+) fish are produced at Madyan annually. The production cycle takes 14–18 months. The government has fixed the sale price at Rs 55/kg, but staff know this is not economic and are pressing to have it increased to a realistic level of at least Rs 100. The government has also fixed a price of Re 1 per 3" fingerling sold to the private sector.
Private farm owned by Mr. Muhammad Rashid. This farm is about 3km from Madyan, and was started in 1987 with the aim of growing out fingerlings provided by the Madyan government unit. Mr. Rashid uses conventional concrete raceways for market fish production. Since he sells his fish at the nearby roadside by the piece, he favours a rather small market fish of around 150g. At a price of 20–25 rupees each, the per kilo sales revenue ex-farm can top Rs 150. However, with the nearby government trout farm selling at Rs 55, one must conclude that Mr. Rashid's best business would be to buy fish from government and sell them on the free market. It is difficult to believe this possibility has escaped him. Nevertheless it was obvious from the stocks seen that Mr. Rashid is producing substantial quantities of market fish himself. In addition his farm currently holds about 1,500 broodstock. These are in very good condition, and can be expected to give eggs during 1992. According to Mr. Rashid, he is easily able to sell all his production locally at the prices stated above, and has repeatedly had to turn down enquiries from larger traders and hotel owners in Peshawar and Rawalpindi due to shortage of supply.
Punjab
The waters of Punjab are generally too warm to support trout. However, a single trout farm has recently been constructed in the north of the Province, in the Murree hills at Masote. Here an investment totalling Rs 8.7 million has been made in construction of a substantial hatchery building and a series of large concrete raceways totalling hundreds of square metres. Unfortunately the unit has been sited on a completely inadequate water supply. During the consultant's visit in August 1991, the two small streams supplying the farm together carried less than 10 litres/sec. Further, staff reported that the water often becomes muddy, summer temperatures are high, and there is apparently competition for water with the domestic supply for the area. Under the circumstances it is difficult to see how the farm can survive, let alone make a return on investment.
