Ornamental fish rearing and breeding- a new dimension to aquaculture entrepreneurship in Himachal Pradesh

Abstract

Ornamental fish production is a multibillion dollar industry. Ornamental fish keeping is becoming popular as an easy and stress relieving hobby. Asia is the biggest exporter of ornamental fish. India’s share in ornamental fishes is estimated to be Rs.158.23 lakh which is only 0.008% of the global trade. It is becoming popular day by day. Therefore, many entrepreneurs are venturing into this lucrative business which in turn facilitates the growth of overall subsector. About 90% of ornamental fish is traded from Kolkata followed by 8% Mumbai and 2% from Chennai. Ornamental fisheries trade is having potential for tremendous growth, low production rate and high returns within a short span of time and even growing demand is a major attraction. Fifty-eight ornamental fish species belonging to five orders, 13 families and 36 genera occur in Himachal Pradesh. The indigenous ornamental fish which are available in the rivers of the state are being neglected due to lack of awareness. These indigenous ornamental fishes can easily be collected from the wild resources and can be cultured and reared for keeping in the aquarium.