Viresh Kavatagi, 33, a successful techie and manager in an MNC, planned to quit his job after making good profits from his fish farm last year. However, his plans were shattered when 17,000 fish died on his farm, causing a loss of Rs 40-45 lakh. The fish are believed to have died due to heat waves.
Kavatagi, a BE and MBA graduate, started fish farming on his ancestral land in Aheri (Madabhavi Tanda) in 2021. He made a profit of Rs 8 lakh by selling over 8 tonnes of fish last year. Encouraged by this success, he invested Rs 20 lakh to increase his yield. Unfortunately, on Sunday, he found over 15 tonnes of dead fish. With fish prices high, he expected an income of Rs 40-45 lakh this time.
Kavatagi had become a model farmer in Karnataka, using scientific methods with the help of Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana. Many farmers from Vijayapura, Bagalkot, Raichur, and other districts visited his farm for guidance.
Prakash Bhajantri, Assistant Director of the Fisheries Department, Vijayapura, said they visited Kavatagi’s farm in January and everything was fine. After the mass fish deaths, they found the water had low oxygen levels. Samples of the dead fish were sent for lab tests, and they are awaiting the results.
Ironically, there is no insurance or compensation for fish losses, unlike for other livestock. Kavatagi demands a government inquiry into the fish deaths and compensation for his loss. He stressed that without compensation, it would discourage other farmers from taking up fisheries. “Our fish were healthy and weighed around 1.5 kg each. The government should compensate us to set a good example for aspiring fish farmers,” he said.
Source-Times of India
