TILAPIA AQUACULTURE IN NEPAL: HISTORY FROM INTRODUCTIONS TO FARMERS PONDS

The government of Nepal introduced Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus "Chitralada" strain) in 1985 from Thailand, yet tilapia remained inside the fence of government farms until 1996 when research on tilapia began at the Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science (IAAS), Tribhuvan University, Nepal. In 2004, a new strain of Nile tilapia (GIFT - genetically improved farm tilapia developed by ICLARM and WorldFish) was introduced from the Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand to the Fisheries Research Center, Tarahara, part of the Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC). NARC subsequently initiated research in its Tarahara and Begnas Research Stations. Then in 2009, IAAS Rampur imported GIFT tilapia from WorldFish, Bangladesh. Lately in 2012, Himalayan Aqua Agritech introduced red tilapia from Nam-Sai farm Thailand and are maintained at AFU farm Chitwan and NARC farm Parwanipur.

Involvement of IAAS Aquaculture Program with the USAID-supported Aquaculture CRSP began in 2001 and has continued under the AquaFish Innovation Lab (also partly funded by USAID) through the present time. In 2010, IAAS transitioned to a new university structure with the establishment of Nepal's Agriculture and Forestry University (AFU) in Chitwan. At AFU, increasing public and private interest in tilapia, has resulted in increased emphasis on tilapia research. AFU has conducted a number of projects both at university and farmers' ponds, largely through AquaFish support, and shared the outcome of this research during workshops with government development and extension officials as well as NARC research scientists. The AFU-AquaFish collaboration has so far succeeded in farm trials at government farms and in farmer's ponds at Dayanagar Rupendehi, the fish farming pocket area in collaboration with the Directorate of Fisheries Development (DoFD), Nepal. This has led DoFD to include verification trials using tilapia in government farms along with a program for private hatchery development of mono-sex fry production, as part of their annual plan. The AFU fish hatchery and a private hatchery have started production of mono-sex fry to distribute to private farms.

Small-scale famers of AFU's on-farm research sites in Kathar, Chitwan and Kawasoti, Nawalparasi have begun farming tilapia and selling them in local markets. The AFU aquaculture farm produces tilapia for local sale. Some bigger farmers in Chitwan are producing tilapia with carps, which have a long history of cultivation in Nepal. Farmers in the Morang District of eastern Nepal are culturing tilapia. Danger of unwanted introduction of mixed-sex tilapia in natural waters has been the concerns for government and aquatic diversity conservationist. Currently, tilapia represents a major portion of the wild catch in Phewa and Begnas lakes of Pokhara though it was not intentionally introduced. Four percent of fish farmers are reported to be involved in tilapia farming, and tilapia contributed 1.5% of total aquaculture production in 2014-2015. Controlled culture of mono-sex tilapia in ponds has been the emphasis of AFU. We believe that incorporation of Nile tilapia in polyculture with carps, and tilapia monoculture will increase in future Nepalese aquaculture.