Nepali Students lead fishing farming development
Nepal is a landlocked country in South Asia. The majority of the population still live in rural areas.
Because communities are often isolated, there is often a need for economic opportunities and a steady supply of food. The government of Nepal has looked towards aquaculture, or fish farming, as a solution.
This is the fisheries and aquaculture department at the Agriculture Forestry University near Bharatpur. This university attracts the best students in the country.
Bharatpur is the Terai Plain area of Nepal--a flat area known for its hot temperatures, farming, and forests.
The landscape of Bharatpur is flat with lots of forest
In addition to facilities to conduct research on ideal conditions for fish farming, the University offers outreach and extension services to the community.
Students learn how to build, stock, and maintain fish farms for species like carp, catfish, and tilapia and provide these services to others.
There is a lot of digging involved in making a fish pond.
This includes breeding and reproduction. To the right is a spawning tilapia with a clutch of eggs.
This is the nearby Village Development Community of Kathar. It is mainly inhabited with Tharu people--an ethnic group indigenous to the Terai Plain.
The Tharu are known for their wood, clay, and thatch homes, their colorful dress, and farming capabilities.
Women are culturally responsible for many household affairs such as meals, food processing, child-rearing, animal care and cleaning. However, because fish farming can be done close to the home and requires very little maintenance, it is a compatible activity.
Fishing farming has been steadily increasing in Kathar Village thanks to support of AFU paired with the interest of the community. Note the number of ponds in the left (2005) and right (2021) images.
In 2017, students from AFU assessed the benefits that fish farming brought to Kathar village. Students traveled to Kathar and conducted household surveys to ask questions about the fish farms.
The survey found that women who farmed fish:
Consumed significantly more protein per year—an average of 50 kg more—compared to non-fish farmers
Generated an additional mean of $265 in net profit, almost 40% of the per capita GDP, annually from the selling of fish
Reported feeling increased levels of happiness, self-confidence, and empowerment from the benefits brought from fish farming
The expansion of fish farming would not have been possible without the continued support and encouragement of AFU and its students. Extension and outreach education alongside strong classroom training have allowed students to be local leaders and impact meaningful change in their community.
