File picture of a trout farm in Kashmir
| Photo Credit:
NISSAR AHMAD
Since establishing a fish farm in 2012, Shakir Nazir, a young trout fish farmer, has found hundreds of fish floating belly-up in his ponds four to five times in Zawoora, a quiet village in south Kashmir’s Shopian district.
The mass death of fish has become a recurring phenomenon in the region, which is known for its vast apple orchards. Farmers say the unabated use of pesticides in apple orchards is leading to fish deaths in nearby ponds.
“Farmers usually throw leftover pesticides into streams that feed fish ponds. This leads to the death of fish and fish seed,” said Shakir, adding that he had suffered losses of between ₹20 lakh to ₹22 lakh.
South Kashmir is widely known for its sprawling apple orchards, which form the backbone of the region’s horticulture-driven economy. Districts such as Shopian, Pulwama, Kulgam and Anantnag produce a significant share of Kashmir’s apple harvest each year, with orchards stretching across villages and hillsides. The industry supports thousands of farming families and seasonal workers, making it one of the region’s main sources of livelihood.
However, fish farmers say the intensive use of pesticides and fungicides — about 7,750 mt of pesticides and 3,186 mt of insecticides— sprayed between March and November to protect apple crops from pests and diseases, is increasingly affecting nearby water bodies. Runoff from orchards and the dumping of leftover chemicals into streams often contaminate water sources that supply fish ponds, triggering repeated incidents of fish deaths, causing losses to fish growers.
An official from the Fisheries Department said that at least nine confirmed cases of fish dying were reported from south Kashmir in the first six months of 2025.
“Dumping of pesticide in water resources is the key reason for the mass fish death in the Valley, where fish farming has thrived over the last few years,” said the officials.
Trout production has seen a significant rise over the past decade. From a modest 298 tonnes in 2015–16, production climbed to 1,663 tonnes in 2021–22, and further increased to 1,990 tonnes in 2022–23. The upward trend has continued, with output reaching 2,380 tonnes in 2023–24 and 2,650 tonnes in 2024–25. The sector’s revenue has also recorded consistent growth during this period, rising from ₹2.76 crore to ₹4.75 crore.
Despite the sector’s rapid growth, fish farmers say unchecked pesticide use and the weak monitoring of water sources poses a serious threat to trout farming in the region.
“We urge authorities to regulate chemical disposal and protect streams that feed fish ponds to prevent further loss,” said a farmer from Anantnag.
Published on March 11, 2026