KATHMANDU, NOVEMBER 17
The illegally imported fish from bordering regions into the country has affected the market of domestically produced fish and related products produced by local fish farmers. The illegal activity is one the main culprit behind decreasing demand for locally produced fish and slow growth of the sector, stakeholders say.
An estimated 395,000 people are working in the fishery sector, while over 140,000 people are directly involved in aquaculture across the country, as per Central Fisheries Promotion and Conservation Centre (CFPCC).
According to Ambika Prasad Adhikari, president of the Fisheries Association of Nepal (FAN), domestic production covers about 86 per cent of market demand at present while the rest depends on imports.
"Our domestic production is almost sufficient to keep up with the local demands. However, rampant smuggling and some adverse effects of global economic turmoil have affected the demand for domestic fish. Two days ago, police officials confiscated and destroyed over 20 quintals of smuggled fish from India in Chitwan in coordination with local fish farmers. We also destroyed over 100 quintals of smuggled fish during an investigation conducted by FAN members in between September 17 and 30 in Bagmati Province alone. Knowing that huge quantities of fish are entering the market illegally, local farmers involved in fish farming are in distress," he said.
Adhikari further complained that the concerned authorities have not shown any interest in investigating the issue. "There is a lack of proper investigation in the market. Some Nepali suppliers cannot even prove where they buy their fish from. They cannot provide any bills or any details of their initial supplier. Despite our appeals to authorities, they have asked us to find more proof and submit it to them. The lack of action taken against such persons has raised questions over the principles of government authorities among fish farmers," Adhikari added.
Subash Kumar Jha, fisheries development officer at the CFPCC, said that they have been informed of fish entering the domestic market through unofficial means and stressed the need for collective efforts of Department of Customs, Ministry of Home Affairs, and Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development to tackle the issue.
"Earlier, there was no need to acquire permits when importing fish meant for consumption. Permits were needed while importing live fish only. A few months ago, a national single window system was implemented by the customs department which mandated permits for the items being imported into the country. The open border and the newly introduced provision may be the reason behind the illegal smuggling of fish. We had confiscated and destroyed many fishes that were brought into the country through illegal means during the Dashain festival as well and are doing as much as we can with the resources we have," Jha said.
A total of 104,623 metric tonnes of fish were produced in the country in the fiscal year 2020-21. Of that, the contribution of captured fish from rivers and lakes amounted to 21,000 metric tonnes, while the remaining were produced by culture fisheries. Meanwhile, over 5,023 metric tonnes of fish were imported in the same year, according to Jha.
"Although the data shows that we are just over 5,000 metric tonnes shy of being able to cater the domestic demand, we know that much of the demand is also being covered by the illegally smuggled products which find their way into the market due to our open border with the southern neighbour," he added.
According to the data released by the Department of Customs, Nepal imported live and other fish-related products worth Rs 25.89 million from mid-July to mid-October in the current fiscal year, a significant decrease compared to the import of fish and related products worth Rs 260 million in the first quarter of last fiscal year.
Adhikari stressed the need for concerned authorities to solve the smuggling issue for domestic products to be able to compete in the market. "We have no problem with fish entering the market after paying the customs fees. Domestic farmers will be able to compete in the market at fair prices if the illegal activities are curtailed and fishes officially enter the market. With tightening of surveillance at the border areas, fish will start coming through the customs, generating revenue for the government while also maintaining the standard of the produce," he said.
A version of this article appears in the print on November 18, 2022 of The Himalayan Times.
