Opinion | From Forgotten Ponds to Prosperity: How South Kashmir’s Fisheries Industry is Making Waves

Pulwama, Kashmir – On the misty banks of Manasbal Lake, 35-year-old Fatima Bano casts her nylon net into the glassy water just as the first light of dawn touches the surrounding mountains. Within minutes, her net shimmers with rainbow trout—a fish that has become the unlikely hero of South Kashmir’s quiet economic revolution.

A decade ago, Kashmir’s fisheries sector was mostly an afterthought, overshadowed by years of neglect and instability. But today, thanks to focused government schemes and the determination of local communities, fish farming has grown into a ₹300-crore industry that is creating livelihoods, empowering women, and placing South Kashmir on the global aquaculture map.

The cold, oxygen-rich waters of Pulwama, Shopian, and Anantnag are ideal for raising trout, a premium fish in high demand across India and abroad. What started as a handful of ponds has grown into over 500 trout farming units producing 2,400 metric tons of fish each year—triple the output in 2015. South Kashmir’s trout is now exported to seven countries, including the UAE and Thailand. Mushtaq Ahmed, a former apple grower from Kokernag, made the switch to trout farming after erratic weather patterns hit his orchard yields. “The trout is our floating gold,” he says, proudly noting that his fish farm now earns him ₹8 lakh annually—three times his former income.

Much of this growth has been made possible by policy interventions. Under the Blue Revolution scheme, farmers have received up to 75% subsidies on feed and equipment, along with training programs and cold chain infrastructure to minimize spoilage. Women like Fatima have benefitted from access to Kisan Credit Cards, which allowed them to take loans up to ₹1.5 lakh to buy boats and nets. “Before KCC, middlemen controlled everything,” Fatima recalls. “Now I sell directly to Srinagar hotels and keep the profits.”

Pulwama’s trout was also recognized under the ‘One District, One Product’ initiative, which brought branding assistance, e-commerce tie-ups, and chef training programs that boosted demand locally and nationally. These changes have had a powerful impact, especially on women. In Shangus, Anantnag, the Women’s Trout Cooperative—Jammu & Kashmir’s first all-female fish farming group—is setting a new standard. With 30 members managing 12 ponds and a processing unit, they supply smoked trout to high-end hotels in Gulmarg. “People used to laugh at us. They said fishing was a man’s job,” says Ayesha Khan, who leads the cooperative. “Now, their daughters want to join us.”

Innovation is also making waves in the region. Cage culture—using floating nets in deeper lakes—has proven five times more productive than traditional pond farming. Farmers like Bilal Ahmed in Shopian are experimenting with aquaponics, growing trout and organic vegetables side-by-side. Meanwhile, apps like FishKashmir are helping farmers connect directly with buyers, cutting out exploitative middlemen and bringing fair prices to producers.

Yet challenges remain. Climate change is warming the water, which stresses the cold-loving trout. Infrastructure is still lagging, with only three fully functional hatcheries across all of South Kashmir. Exporters also struggle with high airfreight costs from Srinagar, making it hard to compete with markets outside the region.

Still, the future looks promising. Under the newly launched Fisheries Mission 2025, the Union Territory aims to double fish production to 5,000 metric tons, establish Asia’s highest-altitude fish market in Pahalgam, and train 1,000 youth in modern aquaculture techniques.

As the sun sets over Manasbal, Fatima finishes packing her catch for a Srinagar-bound truck. Her phone pings with an order—50 kilograms of smoked trout for a restaurant in Mumbai. She smiles as she zips up the cooler box. “When people enjoy our fish,” she says, “they taste Kashmir’s resilience.”

Aroojabashir256@gmail.com

Arooja Bashir