Extreme heat forces sale of fish at Rs 2/kg

Rajahmundry: Prevailing inclement weather conditions are forcing aqua culturists to sell away popular local varieties of fish like Katla or Rohu and Seelavathi at a throwaway price of Rs 2 a kg against the normal price of Rs 80 to Rs 100 in several areas in West Godavari, including Akiveedu, Kalla and Bhimavaram mandals.

The aqua farmers have suffered a major loss in the last few days as thousands of tonnes of fish being raised in fish tanks have perished due to less oxygen levels in the water.

Experts say that a sudden rise and dip in day and night temperatures are resulting in depletion of oxygen levels in the water, thus causing the fish to perish.

This was also seen in villages like Alapadu, Kalidindi, Padinada, Korukollu and Tamarakollu of Kaikalur mandal in Krishna district.

After a huge quantum of fish started to surface on the water and die in the fish tanks, the farmers, who panicked, started to rush the fish by truckloads to local markets and sell them at throwaway prices.

However, as the trend continued on Tuesday and Wednesday, the farmers, unable to bear transport costs, started to dump the dead fish on the bunds of the fish tanks. This resulted in a stench, causing much distress to the villagers.

Some farmers dumped a huge quantity of the dead fish in the Upputeru canal.

Aqua farmer Kondala Rao from Kollaparru village blamed the government for failing to provide cold storage facilities and ice plants to help them preserve the fish and sell them whenever they get a good price.

Fisheries deputy director Dr V.V. Krishna Murthy said, “The density of fish seeds being raised in the tanks, depletion of oxygen in the tank water, non-installation of aerators in the tanks and sudden rise and dip in temperature are the main reasons for the fish dying.”