High alert on fish diseases!

BY OUR STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, Oct 24: With winter approaching, fish famers apprehend the risk of fish diseases taking toll on their earning. Keeping that in view, Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare has asked the fish farmers of Assam to stay alert and take all necessary precautions to the prevent the diseases.

Speaking to this reporter, Agriculture Research Service (ARS) Scientist, ICAR- Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Regiol Centre, Pronob Das said, “Winter brings in a lot of diseases in fish. The most frequently encountered and lethal fungal disease in cultured fish is Epizootic Ulcerative Syndrome (EUS) caused by Aphanomyces invadans. EUS is more severe during the winter season and it adversely affects a large number of fish species, including cultured carps.”

“EUS kills affected fish in a short time affecting a wide range of hosts. Clinically the disease commences with the presence of inflammatory blood blotches on the body surface that gradually becomes ulcerated. However, there are other diseases like infectious abdomil dropsy; fin and tail rot disease, ulcer disease, and argulosis. Argulosis is recorded the second highest incidence rate in aquaculture ponds of the state after EUS,” Das added.

Das further said they are advising fish farmers to be well equipped from now on to fight against the upcoming   danger to the aquaculture of the state. He said that the diseases can be prevented with liming, KMnO4, CL and bleaching powder treating water with antibiotics like CIFAX, SKRE-WS can also help in preventing diseases like EUS in fish. He also said that Indigenous Traditiol Knowledge (ITK) for treating diseases has also shown good results in the recent years. 

Moreover, consuming disease-ridden fish can also bring bad health to human beings. So, while buying fish one must be very careful on his part. The gills and the fins must be checked to know if the fish is healthy to be consumed or not.