Ameliorating underutilized fish genetic resources (UFGR) against poverty, hunger and malnutrition in Nepal by Neeta Pradhan, Asha Rayamajhi, Prem Timalsina and Tek Bahadur Gurun, Presented during the Regional Workshop on Underutilized Fish and Marine Genetic Resources and their Amelioration, 10-12 July 2019, Location: Colombo, Sri Lanka

1. Ameliorating underutilized
fish genetic resources
(UFGR) against poverty,
hunger and malnutrition in
Nepal
Neeta Pradhan, Asha Rayamajhi,
Prem Timalsina and Tek Bahadur Gurung
Nepal Agricultural Research Council,
Nepal

2. 1. Introduction
• Land linked mountainous country
• Total area 147,181 km2
• Elevation extremes: 59 to 8848 m
within 150 to 250 Km transects.
• Population: 28.7 million.
Resource details Estimated
area (ha)
Natural water
Rivers 395000
Lakes 5000
Reservoirs 1500
Village ponds 9934
Seasonal water
Marginal swamps 9000
Irrigated rice fields 398000
Total 818434
Water resources of Nepal

3. • Per capita Fish/Meat Availability 14.3Kg.
• Contribution of Fish in Fish/Meat 19.3%.
• Twenty of the 103 ethnic group are heavily involved in
capture fisheries.
• The prominent groups are: Tharu (Rana/ Dangaura),
Mushar, Mallah, Bote, Bantar, Danuwars, Majhis, Darai,
Kumal, Barhamus/ Baramu, Dhangar/Jhagar,
Dusadh/Paswan/Pasi, Kewat, Kachhare, Pahari, Kushar,
Pode/Jalari, Gongi, Sahani, Suneha, Mukhiya.
• Other communities: Harijan, Kahar, Gaun, Pali, Yadav,
Dhami, Godhi, Bin, Mukhiya and other castes (eg. Brahman,
Chhetri, Shahi. Thapa, Malla, Gurung, Magar etc.) of low
profile.
2. Importance of FGR in national economy and food
security

4. Rice field, Bardia
Phewa shore, Pokhara
Fish in ditches, Rupandehi
• Capture fisheries represents
major source of income for
marginal farmers and
landless fishers community.
• Capture fisheries serve as a
“safety net” to landless poor
or in the event of other
livelihoods failing.

5. Attributes Upper
Sunkoshi
Koshi
River
Kali
Gandaki
Phewa
Lake
Danda
stream
% fisher
Full time fisher Family 45 445 57 18 5.0
Part time fisher Family 211 17 37 110 60.0
Occasional fisher
Family
500 35.0
Annual income
Full time fisher (NRs) 27000 21926 13379 68624 na
Part time fisher (NRs) 15000 6500 37800 28800
% share of capture
fishery of native fish to
annual income
49.0 64.0 45.0 54.1
Fish consumption, kg /
year / person
2.6 12.4 3.0 7.2 14.3
share of capture fishery to annual income of fisher in some
fishing areas
Source: Wagle et. al. 2011

6. • National fish Production-
86544 mt .
- Aquaculture-65544 mt.
- Capture fisheries:
21000mt.
• Fastest growing primary food
production sector (9.6% GR)
• Aquaculture GR 14.54
• Capture fisheries GR -
0.59
• Employment
• Capture fisheries: 462067
• Aquaculture: 122772
Fish Production and consumption
Contribution to
- AGDP contribution- 4.18 %
- NGDP contribution- 1.13 %

7. Per capita Production: 3.01 kg
- Per capita availability: 3.39 kg
- Import – 10756 MT ( NRs. 2 billion)
Fish Production and
consumption (contd…)

8. Import and export
Figure 2. Fish import trend in Nepal
Table Fish and other Import
Fresh Fish, mt 11220
Boneless Fish, mt 443
Dry Fish, mt 94
Fish seed Fry, No. 3781500
Fish seed eggs, No, 250000
Fish seed Ornamental, No. 271000
Fish feed Pellet, mt 2280
Bivalve, mt 650
Source: Central Livestock Quarantine
Office, 2017

9. 3. Status of Fish Genetic Resources (FGR)
Type Species
diversity
(No.)
Percent of
236
species
Ecological Region
High hill 20 10.7
Hills, valleys 114 45.2
Terai 118 46.8
Species Richness*
Gandaki River 201 79.76
Koshi River 194 76.98
Karnali River 139 55.16
Mahakali River 89 35.3
Status Number of
species
Common/
occasional
71
Insufficiently
known
59
Vulnerable 11
Endangered 2
Rare 23
Total Indigenous fish species: 236
 74 cold water
 162 warm water

10. Unique underutilized FGR
Food fishes : 23
Sport fishes :18
Ornamental fishes :42
FGR reared for domestication & breeding:15
Endemic species : 16
• FGR have diverse structural, behavioral (migrating
behavior) and biological adaptation of academic
importance

11. List of native fish species reared for domestication &
breeding
Local Name Scientific name
1. Sahar
2. Sahar
3. Katle
4. Buche Asala
5. Chuchhe Asala
6. Gardi
7. Hade
8. Thend
9. Lahare
10. Buduna
11. Baghi
12. Rewa
13. Jalkapur
14. Gonch
Tor putitora
Tor tor
Acrossocheilus hexagonolepis
Schizothorax plagiostomus
Schizothoraichthys progastus
Labeo dero
Labeo pangusia
Labeo angra
Garra annandelai
Garra gotyla
Botia lohachata
Changunius changunio
Pseudeutropius murius
Bagarius bagarius
15. Rajbam Anguilla bengalensis

12. b. Germplasm collection, characterization, evaluation,
conservation and documentation
• The most recent work is a compilation
of 236 fishes in Nepal (Shrestha 2019).
• Collection and identified 135 native
fishes in the country is in the museum
at GRD of (NARC).
• Mitigation: Hatchery produced fish
fingerlings released in the Kali Gandaki
River for mitigation.
• Initiation of genetic characterization of
fish species for stock improvement:
Schizothorax richardsonii, Labeo
rohita, Cirrhinus mrigala.

13. • Habitat Destruction
• Illegal Fishing
• Impact of exotic fishes
– 42% loss of Mystus and Puntius
by Chinese carps in Lake Begnas.
• Introduction of Tilapia nilotica and
T. mossambica
• Unofficially introduced carnivorous
fishes, Clarias gariepinus
• Dam for hydropower and irrigation
• Climate change
4. Challenges and opportunities

14. 5. Marketing, commercialization and trade

15. 5. Marketing, commercialization and trade………………

16. 5. Marketing, commercialization and
trade
Fish Marketing Problem
• lack of all-weather roads.
• absence of cold storage
facilities/chilling rooms.
• absence of insulated vehicles.
• Mostly sold fresh fish
• Live fish marketing initiating
• traditionally dried, salted or smoked.
• Value addition is in its infant stage
• With financial support the production
and marketing of value-added fishery
products can be enhanced.

17. 6. Strategies adopted to harness potential of
underutilized FGR
• For conservation of fisheries resources, His Majesty’s
Government (HMG) has formulated legal device “Aquatic
Life Protection Act 2017”.
• Fish hatchery in the bank of Kali Gandaki River for the
propagation of indigenous fish has been established.
• Breeding of 12 native fish species succeed in hatchery
condition.
• Fishery enhancement techniques (stocking,
translocation) are increasingly used as conservation
strategy
• Establishment of fish sanctuaries:
• Social mobilization
• Live fish Gene Bank

18. 7. Major focus areas for underutilized FGR
• Breeding technology of native fish.
• Re-stocking program with these species in river to mitigate
the effect of environmental alteration.
• Gene pool conservation.
• Studies on reproductive biology, diversity and
socioeconomic connection of several FGR are being
carried out by different agencies.
• SIS and carp polyculture technology

19. 8. Infrastructure, capacity building and financial
investment
Figure 4. Budget allocation for fisheries sector
under NARC in Nepal
• lack of infrastructure for
research and equipment;
• lack of skilled manpower
in fisheries management.
• Lack of expertise in
taxonomy.
• There is lack of field staff
on technology, data
management, permitting
and legislation.
• Low budget allocation for
fisheries sector.

20. 9. Case studies/success stories for improvement of
health and livelihoods
• SIS and carp polyculture technology for
nutrition security
• Stocking of hatchery produced 12
indigenous fishes KGFH for livlihood
• Participatory fisheries management for
livelihood improvement of fishers in Phewa
Lake, Pokhara, Nepal.

21. Lake fisheries controlling lake
Degradation (Phewa Lake)
• The largest cooperative
comprised of 740 families
• Yield: 18.5 mt./yr to 70 mt./yr
• Annual income
7 million NRs
Source: Media

22. 10. Future thrust
• Enforcement of legal instrument: Aquatic Animal
Protection Act 2017 .
• Surveying and Inventorying of FGR
• In-situ conservation should include declaration of fish
sanctuary/park in parts of river and lakes.
• To control the discharge of harmful municipal and
industrial wastes
• To prohibits the use of explosive/poisonous substances
• Rehabilitation of depleted fishes
• Ex-situ conservation of FGR should be promoted by
domestication and their inclusion in aquaculture setting.
• Awareness Campaign on legal aspect of aquatic
biodiversity conservation should be incorporated in
fisheries program.

23. 11. Conclusion
• The scope of ameliorating UFGR is wide.
• Few species for cultivation, while rest are categorized as
UFGR due to limited studies, scientific human resources,
investment and related infrastructures.
• Many of the UFG might disappear before realization of their
importance and economic importance due to environmental
degradation, climate change impact, damming and diversion
of the streams and several other factors.
• It is recommended that such UFGR should be conserved,
studied, and ameliorated focusing on business model
approaches especially to fight against poverty, hunger and
malnutrition considering the advantage of life history traits of
such fishes which might overcome problems associated with
harsh environment and climate change.

24. THANK YOU