Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir): At a time when youth are craving for government jobs, a couple in Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir have set up a trout fish farm in a bid to popularize the fish species and provide employment opportunities to the unemployed youth in the process. In a unique initiative, Sadia Iman and her husband Adil Akram Wani wanted to popularize trout fish and earn self-employment as well as provide employment to others.
The couple have set up the fish farm 'Mountain Trout' in Harwan, a suburb of Srinagar. This is the first private rainbow trout farm of its kind in Srinagar city spread on six kanals of land. In the last 4 years, about 20 tons of trout have been produced at the farm. Adil, 28, has done engineering and 26-year-old Sadia, who is originally from Bangalore, has done her master's in Chemistry.
After tying the knot, the couple decided to pursue self-employment instead of chasing private or government jobs. They fish farm with two raceways in 2019, has about 20 raceways as on date from which abundant trout fish are bred. In setting up this fish farm, Sadia and Adil received full support from the Department of Fisheries.
Apart from the subsidy given under the available scheme, they also got the guidance of the subject experts, as a result of which they are getting a good yield every year. By expanding the scope of the farm, the production of rainbow trout fish is now being increased by using modern technology. The couple said that the 'Mountain Trout' farm has also ensured fish supply to the local households as well as the restaurants and hotels in Srinagar city.
Sadia and Adil said that the aim of setting up the fish farm is to promote trout culture in Kashmir and also to introduce trout to other parts of the country. Fish is known to be one of the healthiest foods, while rainbow trout is one of the unique fish which is relished locally in Kashmir for its taste. At one time, Rainbow trout was considered a rare fish because the breeding of these fish was limited to a few farms of the Fisheries Department.
But today the fish is not only available in private farms, but now it is also easily available in the market.
