Lake Fisheries in Kashmir A Case More Undone Than Done

Neha W Qureshi (nihaqureshi01@gmail.com) and M Krishnan (mkrishnan@cife.edu.in) are at Fisheries Economics, Extension and Statistics Division, Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Mumbai. The Dal and Wular lakes produce 70% of the total fi sh production in Jammu and Kashmir. In addition to introduction of carps, negative externalities of tourism, excessive fertilisation of vegetable crops on fl oating gardens leading to algal blooms have all led to a consistent decline and destruction of the breeding grounds of the local fi sh species schizothorax. Though fi sh production in absolute terms may be increasing in the Dal lake, the rate of growth of even carp fi sh production is declining. The restoration of schizothorax fi shery in the lakes of Kashmir on an even keel will ensure growth in socio-economic-cultural terms and the sustainability of fi shery. The state of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) has an area of more than 2 lakh sq km with a population density of 124 persons/sq km. Among the key economic sectors that govern the economic growth of the state, agriculture occupies the 11th position (PHDCCI 2012). J&K’s gross state domestic product (GSDP) works out to more than Rs 63,000 crore and the primary sector, which includes agriculture and allied activities like fi sheries, contributes 23% to the GSDP. The contribution of the manufacturing sector is as much as 29%, while the tertiary sector records a healthy 48% (PHDCCI 2012).