Status of Fish Health Management Practices Adopted by Fish Growers In Badhaiyataal Rural Municipality, Bardiya, Nepal

This study was conducted in Bardiya’s PMAMP Fish Zone (Badhaiyataal rural municipality) to study the current fish health management practices adopted by fish growers. During the research period, 50 randomly selected fish farmer households were surveyed using structured questionnaires. The majority (80%) of the fish growers were male, averaging 45 years old with 13 years of farming experience. Most of them were literate (76%), practicing poly-culture fish farming focused on major carps with underground water as the main source of water. Training received respondents were dominated oversampled population. Argulosis, ulcer disease and asphyxiation were major diseases seen in the fish grower's farm at the study site. Most of the respondents used lime, maintained an optimum stocking rate, and selected healthy fingerlings, and pond drying as preventive measures. Most of the respondents followed biosecurity measures such as monitoring fish, avoiding contaminated feed, controlling of water source and sterilization of net by sun drying. The unavailability of diagnostic laboratories, lack of skilled technicians, advisory services from organizations and knowledge of disease and treatment were the major problems faced by farmers in curing the disease. Among these, the unavailability of a diagnostic laboratory was found to have caused severe impact. According to the research findings, the establishment of a training and diagnostic laboratory in the area will be essential for enhancing fish health and raising production as it would enable rapid disease identification and give local farmers the skills and information they need.