| Characteristics, structure and resources of the sector |
 | Summary |  |
Aquaculture is an important sub-sector of the fisheries sector and shows most potential for development. It accounts for almost 50 percent of fish production in Uzbekistan. Only fish is cultivated in Uzbekistan. There is no production of molluscs or crustaceans. The pond culture of cyprinids is the only aquaculture system to be developed in the country. There are one or two full-cycle fish pond farms in all regions of the country. Today only the state fish hatchery in the Tashkent region belongs to the state, while the remaining farms are privately owned.
The total area of fish pond farms in Uzbekistan is 10 237 ha. This comprises fattening ponds: 8 619 ha and nursery ponds: 1 618 ha. The nursery ponds can produce up to 93 000 000 yearlings annually. Both nursery and ongrowing ponds have the potential to produce 26 000 tonnes of fish per year at an average productivity of 3 tonnes per ha. However current aquaculture production in the country is about 3 500 tonnes compared to 20 000-25 000 tonnes in the 1980s. For more than 15 years the ponds have been used without undergoing any major repairs. Due to poor financing of the industrial processes, actual production is much lower than potential production.
Farmers apply a method of carp (cyprinids) polyculture which was developed under the soviet period and has been adapted to lack of investments. Silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) became the main cultured species and accounted for 70-85 percent of total production. Common carp (Cyprinus carpio), grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) and bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis) are additional fish cultivated.
Since August 2003, the management of the fishery sector has been the responsibility of the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources. Aquaculture is regulated by general agricultural laws. The government pays major attention to nature protection and fish biodiversity. Until 2007 the aquaculture sector in Uzbekistan was not given enough importance in the economic development of the country. Support for training fish farmers and extension support for fisheries development are lacking in the country and need to be strengthened. Today the government has started to pay attention to aquaculture as a highly profitable sector which can enhance fish production and provide opportunities for additional income generation which will help to reduce poverty in rural areas. |
| History and general overview | |
Fish yields in the Aral Sea began to decline from the 1960s. In particular after the depletion of the Aral Sea fisheries (1980), specialists realised that capture fisheries could not produce enough fish. Major attention was paid to aquaculture development. In the early 1960s, the government managed a large-scale programme of fish culture development with the creation of about 20 fish culture farms (with a total pond area about 20 000 ha) in all regions of Uzbekistan, the elaboration of technologies, the creation of research centres and the establishment of training and education. The main technology was the polyculture of cyprinids in earth ponds in semi-intensive conditions. The cultured species were: common carp (Cyprinus carpio), silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix), bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis) and grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus). The fertilization season lasted from late March/early April until October/November, and wintering lasted from November until March. Marketable fish were produced over a two year production cycle. During the first year yearlings were raised in nursery ponds (10-50 ha each) to a size of 25 g. After wintering they were cultured in fattening ponds (70–150 ha) to a size of 500–1000 g. In the 1970-1980s average productivity of fish ponds in Uzbekistan was 3-3.3 tonnes/ha and in the Tashkent region 4-4.5 tonnes/ha.
Traditionally freshwater from rivers is used for fish culture in Uzbekistan. However, in some years of water deficiency fish farms situated on river plains have to use quantities of brackish drainage water (3-5 g/L) as water supply. Aquaculture produced 20 000-25 000 tonnes/year in the 1980s.
In 1995-2005 average annual aquaculture production in Uzbekistan was 4 200 tonnes at a value of 4 200 000 US$. Aquaculture production reached a peak in 1990 at 20 400 tonnes, then fell gradually to 3 800 tonnes in 2006. |
| Human resources | |
After the collapse of the former Soviet Union the number of people involved in fish pond culture decreased considerably. This was due to a few reasons: the most highly qualified aquaculturists emigrated, most local specialists left the sector to start other more profitable activities, after full privatization of the sector in August 2003 new owners reduced the number of employees in order to enhance profitability, and a reduction in the fish volumes produced. There was generally about a 50 percent reduction in the number of workers.
The educational level of aquaculturists is very low due to the absence of educational centres for fish farming. Young people do not enter the sector because of low salaries. The new owners always try to maintain highly skilled personnel as much as possible by providing them with good salaries.
According to most recent statistics more than 2 000 men work on 21 fish farms. It is estimated that another 2 000 people are engaged in support services such as transport, retail (mainly women) wholesale, and the supply of ice. |
| Farming systems distribution and characteristics | |
| Fish farms are located in all regions of Uzbekistan except Karakalpakstan. There is a total of 18 fish farms, half of which are situated in the Tashkent Region and the Ferghana Valley. Ponds are the only production facility used on the farms and in 2006 they covered a total area of 10 075 ha. |
| Cultured species | |
On all fish farms, predominantly phytophagous fish are cultivated (mainly silver carp, grass carp and big head carp), which comprise more than 95 percent of total production.
The fish species which account for most of the value of aquaculture production value are as follows (in descending order):During the period 1960-1990 a number of fish species from outside the region was introduced in a number of irrigation water bodies of Central Asia. Silver carp, bighead carp, grass carp, and snakehead (Channa arguswarpachowskii) were introduced from the Far East. They were stocked in fish farms in the Tashkent area and from there the hatchery-produced stocking material was regularly stocked into lakes and reservoirs.
Three species of buffalo (Ictiobus cyprinellus, I. bubalus, I. niger) and channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) were also introduced into fish farms, but they did not enter rivers apart from the last species, which entered the Syrdarya. Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), Sevan trout (Salmo ischchan), peled (Coregonus peled) and lake herring (Coregonus sardinella) were released into the Charvak reservoir in the Tashkent area where they are now established. |
| Practices/systems of culture | |
Farmers apply the method of carp polyculture in huge ponds which was developed under the soviet period and has been adapted to lack of investments. Since inorganic fertilizers in the required quantity are much cheaper than feeds, most attention is paid to liming and fertilization of the ponds in order to stimulate the development of phytoplankton. In this way silver carp became the main cultured species and accounts for 70-85 percent of total production. Common carp, grass carp and bighead carp are additional fish. Some farmers use supplementary feeds (mainly bran, husk of cotton seeds, wheat) for common carp feeding, but some farms do not use even supplementary feeds. Grass carp is occasionally fed on cut plants (mainly reed).
Artificial reproduction using hormonal or pituitary injections, egg incubation, larvae and fry raising to fingerlings/summerlings and wintering are carried out a little less than in former times. Huge earthen ponds (50-100 and more ha) are filled with fresh river water every year in spring. A major investment of funds and effort is required to make a forage reserve (to make the water fertile). This pond stocks only 1 500-2 000 fish seed per ha at the age of one year weighing 15-25 grams and culture until autumn.
In the autumn the water with its accumulated fertility is discharged from the pond and all the fish have to be sold within a week. Then the pond remains empty from autumn to spring. After that the pond is again filled with new water. Some big farms now use a new approach whereby the table size fish are kept in deeper wintering ponds and are sold gradually.
Some large fish farms use a higher density (up to 3 000-4 000 fish/ha). Since fish will in this case be smaller in the autumn, these farms raise fish in the third year and produce fish weighing 1.5-3 kg. The price of such silver carp is higher. This method is used because there is no real competition between farms and the tax for land and water is small.
In 1991-2006 there were no attempts to develop new aquaculture systems or species or to move to semi-intensive or intensive culture of carps. | Production | |
Before and immediately after independence in 1991 aquaculture production was relatively good. Fish production volumes decreased from 20 000–25 000 tonnes in 1980-1991 to an annual average of 4 200 tonnes during 1995-2006. The aquaculture sector produced 3 800 tonnes in 2006, which was a fall to around 20 percent of fish production compared to 1991. As a result, per capita fish consumption fell to less than 500 g, compared to 5-6 kg during 1980-90. The contribution of the sector to GDP is less than 1 percent and as a result there has been no information available in recent years (after full privatization in 2003) on the fish species cultivated in pond farms.
The economic data suitable for making an analysis of the main species in production is only available from the JSC fish farm “Balykchi” (1 US$ = 1 200 UZS). The production of fish on this farm in 2006 was 1 558 tonnes from 1 557 ha of ponds. Productivity from 1 ha was 1 001 kg. The cultivated fish consisted of 1 375 tonnes of silver carp (or 88.3 percent of the total catch); 86 tonnes of common carp (or 5.5 percent) 49 tonnes of grass carp (or 3.1 percent); 41 tonnes of crucian carp (or 2.6 percent); 7 tonnes of big head carp (or 0.4 percent). The sales proceeds were 122 157 million soums. The average realization price of 1 kg of fish was UZS 784, the price cost reached UZS 473 547 million. The expenses in that period were UZS 410 773 million (or 33.6 percent); the net profit was UZS 354 680 million (or 29 percent).
The graph below shows total aquaculture production in Uzbekistan according to FAO statistics:
Reported aquaculture production in Uzbekistan (from 1950)
(FAO Fishery Statistic) |  | 
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| Market and trade | |
Pond farms are located within 5-70 km from cities and towns and sell their fish in the autumn. Some of the fish is sold to traders in small quantities (up to 200 kg) by the pond, for which contracts are concluded. Some of the fish is sold by the pond farms at markets and shops. Processing and storage facilities are poor in the country. One reason for this is the lack of fish since most of it is sold live and fresh. Most of the fish (60 percent) is sold at markets; more than 15 percent is sold through shops and supermarkets; about 25 percent of the fish (mainly frozen and processed) is sold from warehouses to special consumers and wholesale buyers.
Fish is exported fresh mainly to Afghanistan. According to data of the State Statistical Committee in 2006 Uzbekistan exported: - Frozen fish (gutted fish without head and tail) – 744.2 tonnes at a value of 712 100 USD (65 percent to Russia; 35 percent to Turkey).
- Refrigerated fish – 30 tonnes at a value of 21 400 USD (100 percent to Afghanistan).
- Smoked fish – 9.6 tonnes at a value of 7 800 USD (entirely to Russia).
- Filleted fish – 34. 4 tonnes at a value of 55 500 USD (100 percent to Russia).
There is legislation governing marketing standards of various products, including fish and fishery products, in particular marketing standards concerning the content, main characteristics and name of foodstuffs, as well as labelling, packaging and promotion. |
| Contribution to the economy | |
Up to 2007 aquaculture development was not given priority in Uzbekistan and as a result this caused major constraints with respect to technology, management, extension support and access to credit. Today the government has started to pay attention to aquaculture as a highly profitable sector which can enhance fish production and provide opportunities for additional income generation which will help to reduce poverty in rural areas. The beneficiaries will be fish farmers and farmers interested in diversification from agriculture to aquaculture, fishermen, fish traders, input suppliers and women as well as national, regional and district level agriculture department officers. Giving priority to fish production in the country will increase food security by supplying the population with high quality fish proteins.
Whereas fishermen and people in rural areas are currently involved only in informal/artisanal, small-scale capture fishery which is economically not feasible and ecologically unsustainable, the country has very convenient natural and socio-economic conditions for aquaculture development.
The Republic of Uzbekistan has a population of 26.5 million. According to the Welfare Improvement Strategy Paper of the Republic of Uzbekistan (March 2005), around 70 percent of the population live in rural areas. The country level poverty rate is 26.2 percent. The poverty risk remains as high about 28.7 percent in rural areas, compared to 22 percent in urban areas. The development of aquaculture as part of the livelihood of poor rural households can promote income generation and food security by enhancing fish consumption and family nutrition in general. |
| Promotion and management of the sector |
| The institutional framework | |
Since August 2003, the management of the fishery sector has been the responsibility of the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources (MAWR). To that end, the Main Administration for Development of Animal Husbandry, Poultry Farming and Fishery with a staff of 12 officers was established. Of these, 5 officers work at the Department for the Development of Poultry Farming and Fishery, which was divided into separate sectors for the development of poultry and the development of fishery. Two officers with an education in aquaculture work at the department for the development of fishery.
Departments for the development of animal husbandry, poultry farming and fisheries have been established in regional departments for agriculture and water management (one person), which were entrusted with functions to promote the development of fishery.
Competitive commissions under the Council of Ministers of Karakalpakstan and regional hokimiyats were created for letting out units of water.
There are no aquaculture related unions, cooperatives or associations at national level. Non-governmental associations of fishermen and fish-breeders were set up in the provinces of Karakalpakstan (units comprising more than 50 fish farms), Bukhara (17 fish farms) and Samarkand. The main task of these associations is to protect the interests of fish farms. |
| The governing regulations | |
A single land tax applies to the land allocated for ownership, use or rent for agriculture. Uzbekistan has no special laws on fishery. Aquaculture is regulated by general agricultural laws. The government pays major attention to nature protection and fish biodiversity.
The following laws apply with respect to enterprise property: “On joint-stock associations and protection of rights of stock holders,” “On associations of limited liability,” “On farming” etc.
The management of farms is regulated by codes, laws and decrees of the President of Uzbekistan and enactments of the Cabinet of Ministers, namely, “The Tax Code”, “The Land Code”, “On Protection of Nature”, “On Water”, the decree of the President of Uzbekistan No.VII-2086 of 10 October 1998 “On the introduction of a single land tax for agricultural producers”, the regulation of the Cabinet of Ministers No.21-f of 21 January 1997, No.289 “On the improvement of the system of fishery sector management” of 6 July 2001, the enactment of the Cabinet of Ministers No.258 “On the improvement of the organization of the activity of the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Management” of 28 June 2003, No.350 “On measures to remove monopolies and to privatize the fishery sector” of 13 August 2003, the enactment registered by the Ministry of Justice No.1292 of 20 December 2003 “On the approval of the regulation of the calculation and levying of rent payment for the use of natural water bodies by fish farms,” and the regulations of hunting and fishing on the territory of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
Considering that the agrarian sector occupies an important place in the Uzbek economy, significant benefits were given to the agricultural organizations, including aquaculture enterprises. In the enactment of the Cabinet of Ministers No.21-f of 21 January 1997, fish farms involved in the cultivation of fish pond are treated the same as agricultural enterprises in terms of credit, purchase of combustive-lubricating materials, mixed feeds, agricultural equipment, spare parts, etc.
The enactment of the Cabinet of Ministers No.289 of 6 July 2001 “On the improvement of the system of fishery sector management” states the fish farms have the equal rights as agricultural organizations in terms of taxation. Pond farms pay a single land tax instead of the payment of all current state and local taxes (except the excise tax) and fees established for agricultural producers: income tax (profit); value added tax (except the import of commodities (work, services); tax on the use of water resources; tax on the use of subsurface; property tax; tax for improvement of territory and development of social infrastructure; other local taxes and fees. |
| Applied research, education and training | |
Previously aquaculture and fisheries specialists with higher education studied at the Department of Hydrobiology and Ichthyology in the Biology Faculty of Tashkent State University (now the National University of Uzbekistan). Each year 8-20 students graduated. In 2003 that department was transformed into the Department of Ecology, and now there is no centre for higher education for the fisheries sector. Nominally, biologists can enter the sector.
Major research into fish breeding development is carried out under the umbrella of the Coordination Committee on Science and Technologies Development under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan. There is one research institute in the field of aquaculture and fisheries - Uzbek Research Centre for Fishery Development at Uzbek Scientific Production Centre for Agriculture of MAWR and four research institutions with departments conducting research in the field of ichthyology, hydrobiology, fisheries and aquaculture – Laboratory of Hydroecology at the Institute of Water Problems of Uzbek Academy of Sciences (UzAS); Laboratory of Ichthyology and hydrobiology at the Institute of Zoology of UzAS; Institute of Bioecology of Karakalpak Branch of UzAS (Nukus) and the Department of Ecology at the National University.
On-farm participatory research in aquaculture is not practiced in Uzbekistan. There are no technical schools offering aquaculture training.
There are no specialized educational organizations that prepare specialists for the fisheries sector as well as there are no researchers, lecturers or technologists. Highly educated people from the State University (biologists), Agro University (agriculturist), Technical University (engineers, food industry) can enter as fisheries specialists.
Support for training fish farmers is lacking in the country. However, the Centre for Fisheries Development had taken the initiative of building a training centre for fish farmers at Yangiyul fish seed farm which became operational in 2008. The extension support for fisheries development is completely lacking in the country. This needs to be strengthened in order to reform fisheries development. |
| Trends, issues and development |
The aquaculture sector in Uzbekistan has not been considered a priority sector in the national development of the country. This is reflected by the lack of international assistance and the lack of transfer of modern semi-intensive and intensive technologies to this sector.
There is no dedicated policy and strategy of fisheries development in Uzbekistan. One reason for this is that the complete privatization of the fisheries sector was declared in 2003. The privatized aquaculture sector has not yet established itself as a commercial sector with future prospects. There is no clear development programme for the sector. The main goal was to re-establish enterprise facilities on the scale of pre- 1994 levels (beginning of privatization). But this programme was decided by very few authorities (mainly in the MAWR), and not made known to the local authorities and stakeholders. The programme was not based on the realities of a modern free market economy. The text of the programme is not available.
The government has made privatization, market economy and social welfare (poverty alleviation) the three cornerstones of its social and economic policy. In line with these national directives the MAWR and FAO formulated a Technical Cooperation Project (TCP) on the ”Development of strategic partnership in support of responsible fisheries and aquaculture development in Uzbekistan” in July 2007 and started implementation in August 2007. Using a participatory process of involving all stakeholders through consultations and organizing two national participatory workshops and two training programmes, the National Policy and Strategic Plan for nine years from 2008-2016 was prepared. This policy also emphasized the need to strengthen the fisheries arm in the Ministry by elevating it into a Department of Fisheries to operate effectively. The approval of the Policy and Strategic Plan is under the active consideration of the MAWR. This project is the outcome of consultations of the TCP project.
In Uzbekistan the development of aquaculture is considered an environmentally friendly direction of agriculture because it is a water user and not a water consumer. The use of coproducts from other sectors (cereals, poultry, live-stock, etc.) will be beneficial to all of them. |
| Bibliography | |
Kamilov, B. 2003. The use of irrigation systems for sustainable fish production in Uzbekistan. In: Fisheries in irrigation systems of arid Asia. FAO Fisheries technical paper. No.430. Rome, FAO, pp.115-124.
Kamilov Bakhtiyar, Karimov Bakhtiyor and Dietmar Keyser. 2004. The modern state of fisheries in the Republic of Uzbekistan and its perspectives. – World Aquaculture Magazine, Vol.35, No 1, pp. 8-14.
Karimov. B., H. Lieth and B. Kamilov. 2006. The state of fishery and aquaculture and hydroecological-economical conditions for their development in the Republic of Uzbekistan, Central Asia. In Abstract Volume: World Water Week in Stockholm, August 20-26, pp. 173-174.
Karimov, B., H. Lieth, M. Kurambaeva and I. Matsapaeva. 2005. The Problems of Fishermen in the Southern Aral Sea Region. - Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change. No.10, pp. 87-103.
Shokhimardonov D. 2007. Review of the current status of inland fisheries and aquaculture in Uzbekistan. Legal basis and management of fisheries in Uzbekistan. Tashkent. | Related links | |
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