In Bhutan warmwater fishculture is a new venture, while the coldwater fisheries, with the introduction of brown trout, have a much longer history. After studying past and present activities, as well as the future fisheries development plan, the Mission concludes that fisheries development in Bhutan is seriously handicapped by a number of inter-related factors.
Bhutan is about to launch its planned fisheries development programme, and has chosen to exploit and manage its inland water resources to promote sport fishing as a tourist attraction. Apart from the natural water resources, emphasis has also been given to exploring and developing warmwater fishculture potential. In this context, the Royal Government has to define the degree of priority to be given to these two fields. The former needs a long-term programme to attract the tourist as a hard-currency earning source (as fish grow slowly in cold water), while the latter requires a shorter time to produce table-sized fish and provide income-earning means to small-scale farmers. In connexion with this programme, the Mission recommends a careful study on the following two problems:
introduction of exotic fish species, and
environmental modifications of the inland waters, resulting from the various development programmes planned for implementation in the near future.
(i) Introduction of exotic fish species: during the study period the Mission has not been made aware of any policy regarding the introduction of exotic fish species and believes no such definite policy exists in the country. However, the Mission has learned, and noted with great concern, that introduction of new exotic fish species, e.g., Tilapia for warmwater and rainbow trout for coldwater, has been considered or proposed. Indiscriminate introduction of any exotic fish species without prior investigation of the environment and the possible effects on the valuable indigenous fish species may prove harmful in the long range. Therefore, a governmental policy to regulate such introduction is highly advisable.
Along with this policy, priority must be given to study and evaluate the native fish fauna (asla, Schizothorax, mahaseer, Tor tor and katle, (A. hexogolepis) and to help establish the already introduced exotic fish species (brown trout).
(ii) Environmental modifications of the inland waters resulting from the various development programmes may have a deleterious effect on the fisheries resources. A number of multipurpose water resources development programmes (hydropower, irrigation, etc.), as well as industries, will come in the near future. It is necessary to strengthen the economy of the country; but at the same time, the negative effects of these development programmes on valuable aquatic resources cannot be overlooked. A thorough evaluation on the possible environmental impacts of such development programmes should be carried out. It will be worth considering all the preventive measures before the problem becomes serious. Therefore, a governmental policy should be formulated to avoid the possible hazards of pollution from industries, and cross dams preventing fish movement to upper streams for propagation.
With the introduction of brown trout, a small trout hatchery was established about 50 years ago. Even now, the trout hatcheries at Ha and Serbithang have very limited facilities (see Table 6). Consequently, the trout hatchery at Ha is producing only a few thousand trout fingerlings annually, a quantity which is not even sufficient to cover a few rivers or lakes under proper management.
Similarly, the warmwater fishculture demonstration unit at Sarbhang is also seriously handicapped due to inadequate water supply and limited water surface area available for demonstration of fishculture. At present, it is only raising imported fry into fingerlings for free distribution to the farmers.
So far very little public sector investment has been made for the development of the fisheries sub-sector. The Mission proposes that the Royal Government's budgetary allocation for this sub-sector should be increased.
In the fifth Five-year Plan the allocation for the sub-sector fishery development is only 2.1 percent of the total of the animal husbandry sector, which is the last-but-one priority. Inadequate funds can set back the development efforts.
Scarcity of sites of adequate size with good soil quality is another constraint which limits the exploration of warmwater fishculture on a commercial scale, as Bhutan has only limited stretches of plains.
The fishery sub-sector under the Animal Husbandry Department has only 11 staff members. Of these, two coldwater fishery inspectors have received some practical training in India while two warmwater fishery inspectors are self-taught. The overall technical competence of the present staff is very limited.
There are no qualified extension personnel in the fisheries programme, and extension services are provided by the demonstration unit staff who are poorly equipped.
In the field study trip, the Mission had a series of interviews with farmers interested in starting or expanding fishculture, but unable to do so mainly because of lack of funds. Only one farmer, at Gaylegphug, was found to be satisfactorily expanding his fishculture activites. If production credit facilities (capital, as well as operational) were extended by the Government, many farmers in southern Bhutan could become more involved in fishculture.
