CNI News

5 April 2024

Fish have died in droves in the fish farming ponds in Ayeyarwady Region due to the adverse impact of very hot weather at present, fish farming operators told CNI News.

Because of the heat from the sun, water damage and fish diseases are taking place in almost all farming fish ponds in Ayeyarwady Region reportedly.

Due to water damage and diseases occurring in fish, fish have died from 40 to 500 each day and fish farming entrepreneurs were making a loss, U San Ngwe, a fish farming entrepreneur from Zalun Township, Ayeyarwady Region, told CNI News.

" Because of heat, there are disease outbreaks in fish and fish deaths as a result of water damage. Fish deaths are reduced a bit in the places where old water can be taken out and new water can be put in. Otherwise, a lot of fish are dead. Some owners unavoidably have to catch fish in their ponds and sell at a lower price. So, at a period like this, fish farming entrepreneurs are making a loss because fish food is expensive and the price of fish is lower. In some ponds, 400 to 500 fish are dead each day. Moreover, it's not convenient to sell dead fish. Fish farming business is adversely affected by the heat from the sun that we can say." he said.

While seeing fish farming ponds

This year is the worst one in fish deaths because of the current heat, said fish breeders. fish has died since early March and this is the worst year for the fish breeding industry during the last five years, U Thein Aye, a fish farming entrepreneur from Danuphyu Township, told CNI News.

" It happened like this in the previous years, but this year is getting worse. It's because of the very hot weather. Even a fish was not dead during the last five years. About 40 to 50 fish are dead each day. It started on 15th March. In some ponds, fish started dying in early March." he said.

More than 4,000 entrepreneurs who breed, produce and sell fish are doing business of fish farming on over 100,000 acres of ponds in Ayeyarwady Region.

The department of livestock should provide fish breeders with necessary technologies to prevent water damage and diseases occurring in fish and fish deaths because of the heat from the sun and create a market that can make up for expensive fish food, pointed out entrepreneurs.