The past year has been challenging for the fish farm owners in upper Pema Gatshel. They struggled to bring the fingerlings from high-risk areas such as Samdrup Jongkhar and Gelephu. However, with most of the COVID-19 restrictions being lifted now, the owners plan to bring fingerlings and revive their business.
45-year-old Sonam Norbu started a fish farm at Tsalari in Nanong Gewog in 2015. Since then, his fish farm was doing well, earning him about Nu 140,000 to 160,000 a year.
However, after tighter COVID restrictions came in place, he couldn’t bring fingerlings.
“The problem was caused mainly by the pandemic. We were informed that they have the fingerlings. However, we couldn’t bring it as we couldn’t travel. Now I will bring the fingerlings. We are allowed to go down as we are vaccinated. I will go after getting tested,” said Sonam Norbu.
He has four ponds that can hold about 3,000 fingerlings. He sells the fish to the people in the district.
“In the case of fish farming, we face hardship only while transporting the fingerlings. After that, we have to just feed them,” said Sonam Norbu.
When the fish farm business got affected, Sonam raised pigs and poultry birds to make some income to sustain his family.
There are two fish farms in upper Pema Gatshel.
Thinley Dorji, Pema Gatshel
Edited by Tshering Zam
