Fish farmers hit hard as poisoning incidents see sharp uptick

Shopian, Aug 19: On a quiet Sunday morning, Ubaid Shafi Mir, a young trout farmer from south Kashmir’s Shopian town, was left shattered when he stepped into his farm. Hundreds of trout, once the pride of his unit, lay belly up, their white underbellies flashing in the sunlight.

Mir says the water supply to his ponds had been mysteriously cut off and suspects mischief. “This was deliberate. Someone tampered with the water and poisoned the stock,” he said, estimating losses worth lakhs of rupees.

Mir’s ordeal reflects a growing crisis that has cast a shadow over Kashmir’s trout farming sector. Farmers in Shopian and other parts of the Valley have repeatedly complained about mass fish deaths, blaming them on poisoning by rivals or miscreants.

According to the Fisheries Department, nearly a dozen such incidents have been reported in the Shopian district this year alone.

Assistant Director Fisheries, Fayaz Ahmad, told Greater Kashmir that nine confirmed cases have occurred since January, resulting in the death of 40,000 to 50,000 fish of different weight ranges.

“In many of these cases, pesticides were used to poison the ponds,” Ahmad said. “We are aware of the situation, monitoring it closely, and have issued advisories to farmers.”

But the measures have done little to reassure those investing in the trade. Farmers say each attack leaves them not only financially devastated but also psychologically drained. “There has been a steady rise in such incidents. One night’s sabotage can destroy years of hard work,” said another farmer from Shopian.

Trout farming has expanded rapidly in Kashmir over the past decade, encouraged by government support and subsidies under the Holistic Agriculture Development Program (HADP). The sector, seen as a high-return enterprise, has attracted dozens of young entrepreneurs, particularly in rural districts. Officials say the Valley now produces significant quantities of trout each year, generating income for farmers and employment for local youth.

However, the recent spate of poisoning incidents has sparked deep concern. Farmers warn that unless the government takes tough action, the sector’s future could be at risk. “We were told trout farming would be the backbone of Kashmir’s rural economy. But how can we survive if our stock is wiped out again and again?” asked Mir.

Officials in the Fisheries Department privately acknowledge that personal rivalries and local disputes often trigger such sabotage. But farmers argue that the lack of accountability and absence of strict punishment have emboldened offenders. Losses from a single poisoning can run into lakhs, they say, wiping out not just investment but entire livelihoods.

With the government projecting aquaculture as a key pillar of rural development, trout farmers insist the issue can no longer be brushed aside. “Without stronger vigilance and legal action, all the investment in HADP will go waste,” said another farmer. “The sector will collapse before it even reaches its potential.”

For now, Mir and others like him are left staring at empty ponds, their hopes drowned alongside the fish they once nurtured.