Construction and installation of hexagonal wooden cages for fish farming: A technical manual

FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper No. 584

Fish species introductions in the Kyrgyz Republic




Mukthar Alpiev
FAO National Consultant
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

Mairam Sarieva
Monitoring, Control and Surveillance Coordinator
FAO Project on Support to Fishery and Aquaculture Management in the Kyrgyz Republic
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

Sunil N. Siriwardena
International Team Leader
FAO Project on Support to Fishery and Aquaculture Management in the Kyrgyz Republic
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

John Valbo- Jørgensen
Fisheries and Aquaculture Officer
Subregional Office for Central America, Mexico and the Dominican Republic (FAO SLM)
Panamá City, Panamá

and

András Woynárovich
FAO International Consultant
Budapest, Hungary




Download Full Report pdf file -2.9 Mb



Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Rome, 2013


ABSTRACT

Alpiev, M.; Sarieva, M., Siriwardena, S.N., Valbo-Jorgensen, J. & Woynárovich, A. 2013.
Fish species introductions in the Kyrgyz Republic.
FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper. No. 584. Rome, FAO. 108 pp.

Although the Kyrgyz Republic is rich in water resources, water has a low productivity and the indigenous fish fauna is relatively poor, with a limited number of commercially-valuable species amongst them. The waters are suitable to grow valuable cold water fish species, however, and several fish species were introduced and regularly stocked when Kyrgyzstan was part of the Soviet bloc. As a consequence of these introductions this gradually reduced both the number and proportion of indigenous fish species. After independence, seed and fingerling production from hatcheries was reduced significantly, and then completely stopped, while at the same time illegal and unregulated fishing increased. These combined factors led to the collapse of both the fisheries and aquaculture sectors. Currently national and foreign investors are increasingly interested in investing in the potentially lucrative cage farming of exotic rainbow trout, particularly in the unspoilt waters of Lake Issyk-Kul, which may further endanger the efforts to restore and maintain the original fish fauna of the lake. The objective of this document is to analyze the available information on historic practices, experiences and lessons learned on species introductions, so better practices can be used in future stocking programmes in the Kyrgyz Republic and elsewhere in the Central Asian region. Information is provided to support the management of exotic and indigenous species in Kyrgyz fisheries and aquaculture activity including an analysis of the long term consequences of possible stocking programmes for exotic and native species and the use of cages in natural waters. The information presented in this document includes a detailed inventory of all waterbodies, fishery and fish culture resources. It will also serve the rehabilitation and sustainable development of both the fishery and aquaculture sectors in the Kyrgyz Republic in an ecologically sound manner. The report also recommends feasible solutions for the sustainable utilization of natural waters, reservoirs and fish farms in the Kyrgyz Republic.


CONTENTS

Preparation of this document
Abstract
Acknowledgements
Abbreviations and acronyms

Introduction

 

Geography and climate

 

Water resources

   

Surface waters

   

Underground waters

 

Fish fauna

The fisheries in Kyrgyzstan

 

The fsheries during the Soviet period

 

Current state of the fsheries

   

Fishery administration

   

Fishery management of surface waters

   

Fish culture

   

Illegal fshing

 

Fisheries in the national context

 

International support to the fsheries of Kyrgyzstan

Introduced fish species in Kyrgyzstan

 

Choice of fsh species in Kyrgyzstan

 

 

Rationale behind choice of species and expected benefts

   

Precautionary mechanisms and impact assessments

 

Impacts of introductions

   

Experiences and mistakes

   

Rectifcation of mistakes

Summary of the reasons for the present state of the fisheries and lessons learned from the Kyrgyz experience

Conclusions and recommendations

Annexes

 

1

Lakes and reservoirs of Kyrgyzstan

 

2

The fsheries and aquaculture sector of Kyrgyzstan – tables


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