A different kettle of fish: Kashmir wants Europe to taste its trout

Subject : Environment

Section: Species in news

Concept :

Introduced in the early 1900s, trout fish has become a staple on the Valley’s menu, and an increasing number of farmers are now eyeing opportunities to export trout to meet European demand.
The favourable water and climatic conditions in Kashmir, similar to Europe, attracted small farmers initially, and now educated unemployed youth are joining the sector.
The demand for trout is high, leading to solid profits for farmers, and the government offers subsidies to support the establishment of trout farms. However, climate change poses a potential threat to the industry, as the fish require specific conditions to thrive.
Despite this challenge, the government is taking measures to combat climate change’s impact by offering subsidies to set up Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS) for trout farming.

Trout Farming

Trout are classified as oily fish and have been important food fish for humans.
As mid-level predators, trout prey upon smaller aquatic animals including insects, crustaceans, baitfish and tadpoles, and themselves in turn are also important staple prey items for many wildlifes including brown bears, otters, raccoons, birds of prey (e.g. sea eagles, ospreys, fish owls), gulls, cormorants and kingfishers, and other large aquatic predators.
Discarded remains of trout also provide a source of nutrients for scavengers, detrivores and riparian florae, making trout keystone species across aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.
Trout are closely related to salmon and have similar migratory life cycles.
Most trout are strictly potamodromous, spending their entire lives exclusively in freshwater lakes, rivers and wetlands and migrating upstream to spawn in the shallow gravel beds of smaller headwater creeks.