Aqua farmers incur losses as fish found dead

Akiveedu: Hopes of aqua farmers were dashed as fish in ponds were found dead due to change in environment in Akiveedu and Undi mandals. Every year, farmers cultivate fish in the ponds in about 1,500 acres in Akiveedu mandal.

The farmers are making arrangements to catch the fish in the ponds within a few days. However, the sudden change in environment has erased their hopes, leaving the fish dead in the tanks.

It is unofficially estimated that the fish in around 1,000 acres of fish ponds were found floating in the pond. The farmers said that on Wednesday cold climate was witnessed due to rain. Again on Thursday morning, due to precipitation and humidity, fish in the ponds dead due to lack of oxygen in water. The dead fish are found floating in the pond water, farmers said.

M Ramakrishna, a fish farmer of I Bhimavaram in Akiveedu mandal, incurred loss in 40 acres pond following the changes in the environment. “No government assistance for the loss. The fisheries officials too did not give suggestions on this problem which we are facing every year”, he lamented.

Another farmer Tataji of Ardhamuru village in Undi mandal said that he also suffered loss in 20 acres fish ponds. Godavarti Subba Rao, Kanumuri Satyanarayana Raju, Lotha Banerji and other farmers said that they incurred losses due to climatic changes.

Farmers are now facing hardships following a sudden change in atmosphere and to fish out the dead fish from ponds. The farmers said they transported the dead fish to the market and even they are willing to sell it at Rs10 per kg but no one is interested to buy, a farmer of Akiveedu area, said.

The Fisheries Development Officer Vanapalli Satyanarayana said no such incidents have come to his notice and clarified that there will be no compensation for the loss of fish in the ponds. He said that the Fisheries department is creating awareness on to tackle the oxygen deficiency in the fish ponds in such environmental changing conditions.