Brown trout (Salmo trutta) was introduced in Bhutan in 1930 for sport fishing. However, only in 1973, the Royal Government of Bhutan, realizing the importance of fishery resources of Bhutan as a food source, had developed a provisional draft of a project with the cooperation of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Regional Office for Asia and the Far East. As a follow-up action, an FAO Mission visited Bhutan in 1974 (8 March to 2 April), the first Mission to investigate the status and potential of fisheries in Bhutan and to assist the Royal Government in finalizing the draft project proposal in close collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme Office in New Delhi, India. Following the recommendation of that Mission, the services of a Fisheries Development Adviser were made available for a period of one year in 1976 to conduct a detailed fishery development survey, with a view to evaluating the existing resources and to initiating appropriate exploratory and management measures to be undertaken (BHU/75/008).
The survey indicated that the southern region offered good potential for the development of carp culture. Therefore, the Royal Government of Bhutan made a request for a preparatory assistance consultancy mission to be fielded for the purpose of reviewing the situation and developing an appropriate proposal whereby assistance could be provided to the Royal Government in developing a pilot-cum-demonstration Carp Culture Unit.
Under the preparatory assistance document BHU/80/007/A/01/12, FAO fielded the present Mission composed of an aquaculturist and an aquaculture engineer with the following terms of reference:
to undertake a study on the feasibility of common and Asian carp culture in the southern region with the aim, during the initial stage, to develop carp culture on a small scale through a demonstration unit;
to select a suitable site and prepare plans for such a small demonstration unit bearing in mind that the facilities should be simple and easily adaptable by farmers;
to review marketing potential for carp, including distribution and processing aspects;
to asses the training requirements for Government staff and draw up training proposals;
to prepare a draft project document for a full-scale project of assistance by UNDP for a carp culture development programme.
The Mission Leader (aquaculturist) arrived in Thimbu on 5 April and was joined by the aquaculture engineer on 15 April. The Mission had a series of fruitful discussions and interviews with the officials from the Animal Husbandry Department, Agriculture Department, Tourism Department, Power Department, Wireless Department, Bank of Bhutan and Dzongdas of Wangdi, Phodrang, Gaylegphug and Chirang districts. While in New Delhi, India, the Mission met with the Regional Programme Officer of UNICEF.
In Thimbu, the Mission took the opportunity of discussing the agriculture and livestock development plan of Bhutan with the FAO/UNDP Agricultural Planning Mission led by Dr N.S. Randhawa. In addition, the Mission made a thorough field study in Gaylegphug, Chirang, Wangdi and Phodrang districts with a view to selecting suitable sites for the establishment of a Warmwater Fish Seed Production and Demonstration Centre, as well as collecting basic data/information on activities related to aquaculture.
