Trout Fish Farming in Pakistan | Trout Fishing in Swat | Travel in Pakistan | Fish Food of Tourists

Swat valley has great potential for trout fish and more and more people are trying their luck in the business. According to people in Kalam, the first survey for trout fish was conducted during the former Swat state in which the area from Madyan up to Kalam, Utror, Gabral, Matiltan and Usush was termed the most suitable for trout fish farming. “The first successful experiment was conducted in 1953 to breed trout fish in Swat River and since then the production has been on the rise. In our area, for both the trout fish farms owners and those who catch them in the river it is the major source of income, local , residents of Kalam who at first used to catch trout fish in the river, but recently established two trout fish farms and intended to establish more. Riaz said that the trout fish in Kalam and upper belt was famous for its taste and it was used as a gift. “We used to catch trout fish in the Swat River with rod whenever special guests came to us,” he said. He said that there were more than 100 glacial lakes in Swat and these were the most suitable sites for trout fish where the government must carry out stocking activities. Of late, the fish industry saw a gradual uplift because both the governmental and non-governmental sectors invested in the industry. Assistant director fisheries Ibrar Ahmad said that a project titled “Development of Farm Fisheries in KP” has been launched by the provincial government on 50/50 public-private partnership and under which construction work was underway on 35 trout fish farms. About 10 of these farms are near completion,” he said. Similarly, construction work on 29 more such farms would soon be initiated under the public-private partnership by the provincial government. Mr Ahmad said that the total number of trout fish farms in Swat would reach to 116 taking the annual production from presently 6,000kg to 240,000kg. “It will generate Rs204 million as an annual revenue. Thus trout fish industry will become the third cash crop after fruit and vegetables in Swat,” he said. He said that a fish biodiversity centre had recently been completed at Nagoha area which would soon start work #TroutFishFarminginPakistan #TroutFish #KPtourism