BANDIPORA: Fisheries Department, Bandipora Friday flagged off a delegation of 45 fish rearers on a five day exposure tour to different districts in the Valley to get acquainted with fish husbandry in private as well as government sector.
The delegation was flagged off by ADC Bandipora, Ghulam Muhamamd Brakoo along with Assistant Director Fisheries Bandipora  Muhamamd  Shafi Wani.
Brakoo stressed that the farmers must keenly observe the progress made by other farmers by adopting fish farming and replicate the same in Bandipora. The delegation will tour government as well as private farms in Srinagar, Budgam, Ganderbal, Pulwama and Baramulla.
Shafi said the program is conducted under the   Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA). He said that given a strong potential for fish farming in the district, the exposure visits will help the farmers who are willing to set up such farms on scientific lines. He said that the under different government schemes assistance is provided to the farmers top set up both trout as well as carp farms.
The district has seen a production of 21 lakh kgs of fish during this fiscal, with fishermen earnings pegged at 33.40 crore. The department on its own also earned Rs 4 lakh from sale of 1947 Kgs of trout and carp fish.
The department issued fishing license to 1926 fishermen in the district while as nylon twine worth 2.85 was provided to 571 fishermen. The water bodies of the district including the Wullar Lake, River Jehlum, Sumbal Sars, Madhumati Nallah and Arin Nallah where stocked with 11 lakh different kinds of fish seed.