Nawalparasi, Dec 21: Long troubled by frequent wildlife menace, local residents of buffer zone in Nawalpur have started switching from paddy farming to fish farming. Their switching means to minimise losses and damage caused by wildlife.
Devraj Subba, a farmer of Kawaswoti municiplaity-7, said they have switched to fish farming to avoid wildlife intrusion and earn more income. He further said almost every household has grown fish in the area along the forest border.
He said that most of the people living along the border area of the forest have fish ponds. “Around 70 families here have fish ponds. With the rise in wildlife rampage, plantation of other crops in the area adjacent to the forest cannot be possible,” he said, adding fish farming has turned to be an effective option to the paddy-farming as its income is also good.
Yam Bahadur Nepali, who had been cultivating paddy earlier, has also dug fish ponds later. He said the trend of digging fish ponds has increased as livelihoods.
Lately number of fish farmers is increasing in Devchuli, Kawaswoti and Madhyabindu municipalities of the district. The community forests here have also been supporting the digging of fish ponds in the bordering areas of the forest.
Chairperson of the forest, Khil Bahadur Gurung said that the Model Buffer Zone Community Forest Users’ Group has been providing support to those who want to grow fish. There are a total of 140 fish ponds in the areas which fall under the Model Buffer Zone Community Forest and Krishnasar Buffer Zone Community Forest.
Chair Gurung further commented that fish farming has also helped mitigate human-wildlife conflict in the area. Fish farming nearby the forest area is expanding of late, he shared.
He said fish farming has helped resolve the problem of wildlife entering and destroying crops besides generating a decent income.
Kawasoti Municipality has been providing grants by declaring the wards as pocket areas for fish farming as the residents of the buffer zones have been attracted to the business.
Chief of Agriculture Development Section of Kawasoti Municipality, Shiva Narayan Kumal, said that ward no. 7 and 13 of Kawasoti municipality are being developed as fish pocket areas. “We have started providing necessary subsidies to the farmers as the fish farming area is increasing in the vicinity of the forest, and the farmers are also earning good income,” he said.
