BACKGROUND
Fish production in countries of Central Asia has recently declined sharply, from 10-12 kg to 1-4 kg per person per year in the year 2000. The main cause has been the change from a centrally-planned economy to a market-oriented one. While the old structures of management have largely disappeared, new structures have not been put in place, or have not started functioning well. The potential fish producing capacity of numerous water bodies of irrigation systems in Central Asia is at present underutilized. To improve the fish supply to the people it is proposed to execute several small-scale pilot studies on aquaculture utilization of these water bodies.
OBJECTIVE
To test in pilot studies the existing methodologies, and to develop new specific methodologies where appropriate, for small-scale aquaculture production from various types of irrigation water bodies of Central Asia.
To disseminate the information through training programmes and in the form of manuals.
To be achieved by
Several pilot studies, e.g.:
warm water carp pond polyculture in the Yushnogolodno Step irrigation system in Uzbekistan;
trout culture in irrigation canals of the Osh Oblast, Kyrgyzstan;
fish culture in rice fields of the Kyzyl Orda Oblast, Kazakhstan.
The implementation of the project would require formation of a group of specialists who would be responsible for the technical and scientific supervision and execution of the project. The specialists would be recruited from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan and the group would be based in Tashkent in the Interstate Coordination Water Commission of Central Asia (ICWC). When established, the group, with the assistance of technical organizations such as FAO, NGO or other specialized agencies would prepare a detailed project proposal. In the project implementation the local experts of the group would be assisted by specialists from other countries of Asia with advanced aquaculture experience.
Executive agency
Interstate Coordination Water Commission of the Central Asia, Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
