In 1961 and 1962, the Government of Nepal requested technical assistance in fish culture development from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO under its United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). In 1963, Mr.K.K.Zwilling (Austria Fish Culturist, was recruited for this programme with the following terms of reference:
to advise and assist the Government in the development and expansion of fish culture;
to establish a reliable distribution system for fish fry and fingerlings; and
to train local staff in the methods employed in the development of fish culture and basic pond management.
The expert's assignment extended until 1968.
After briefing at FAO Headquarters, Rome, the expert arrived at Kathmandu on 25 July 1963, Mr. Rohit Bahadur Thapa, Chief Officer, Fisheries Development Section, Department of Agriculture, was designated as his counterpart. The first period of the expert's assignment ended on 31 March 1965. It was then extended under a plan which divided the work periods into intervals, avoiding the monsoon so that the expert could make the best use of his time. (During the monsoon, the expert's work was limited because of the inaccessibility of some of the areas, e.g. roads and airfields outside the Kathmandu valley became waterlogged.) These intervals were as follows: 7 November 1965 to 15 April 1966; 29 October 1966 to 15 April 1967; and 1 February to 1 April 1968.
During the expert's stay he visited the following areas shown in Fig.1: Kathmandu valley, Pokhara valley (Phewa, Begnas, Rupa and Khaste Tal), Trisuli area, Hetaura area (Pipley - Lamsure), Rapti valley (Rampur, Jaktapur, Hardi, Samanpur, Parsauni, Nawalpur, Narangat, Narayant, Gaghmara), Karnali river area, Parwanipur, Birganj, Simra, Janakpur, Chandra Nagar, Raghunathpur (Kamala irrigation project area), Enarva Pakadia, Tejpur Belachapi, Rajbiraj, Kosi project area, Biratnagar, Tarara, Hathimuri, Enarva (near Dupi), Damac, Jhapa and Anarmoni Birta area. All projects in these areas, except Jhapa, were repeatedly visited, surveyed, and recommendations made for construction or improvements.
With his assignment completed, the expert left Kathmandu for Rome on 1 April 1968, handing over the project to a new expert, Dr.Elek Woynarovich, FAO Inland Fishery Biologist.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations wishes to express its thanks to all the senior and junior officers in the Department of Fisheries as well as to members of the Ministry of Health, Agriculture and Land Reform, who helped the expert, Mr.K.K.Zwilling, to carry out his assignment, and in particular, the Director of the Department of Fisheries, Mr.Rohit Bahadur Thapa, for his understanding, vigorous support and aid in overcoming difficulties. The German volunteer, Mr.H.J.Lange, deserves special mention for his valuable assistance in making the surveys and project maps.
