Unhealthy fingerlings threaten Telangana plans

Khammam: Officials of the Fisheries department are facing difficulties in plans to breed fish in tanks in Khammam and Kothagudem districts due to scarcity of healthy fingerlings.

Following the recent rain, the government decided to drop 2.39 crore fingerlings in 293 water ponds, including medium reservoirs like Palair and Wyra, in these districts.

Accordingly, 1.24 crore fingerlings were dropped over the past 10 days. The Fisheries department has limited mechanism to breed fingerlings in a big way. Because of this, it had roped in some private hatcheries for it.

Each fingerling costs 70 paise and the government supplies these to fishermen societies free of cost.

Fingerlings have to pass through several points before being dropped into ponds. The handling and husbandry at the hatchery, during transportation and subsequent stocking in ponds, can determine the success of the project.

Poor husbandry can result in high mortalities or diseased fish. Problems with the fish should be noticed immediately.

But, hatcheries supplying the fingerlings to the fisheries department were not following such scientific approach. There were allegations that emaciation (big head-small body), lethargy, loss of appetite, “patchy” skin, unusual color, “flashing”, frayed tails and fins were noticed in the fish fingerlings being dropped in the water ponds.

Interestingly, 30 per cent of fishermen societies out of 228 societies are inactive in fishery production and members of the societies need some training in fish production.

One of the keys to any successful pond is food supply. Without an adequate food supply, growth rates will fall below normal levels and the overall balance of pond can be put in jeopardy. But, there is no proper mechanism in the programme for it.