FACULTY OF FISHERIES RANGIL, GANDERBAL

TEACHING The Faculty is offering Bachelors (B.F.Sc.),

Masters (M.F.Sc. in seven disciplines) and Doctoral (Ph.D.

in two disciplines) at its Rangil Campus. Courses related to

Cold water/Hill Fisheries have been incorporated in the

curriculum as per ICAR recommendations. The Faculty is

offering two seats each in B.F.Sc & M.F.Sc degree

programmes for other hill states of the country like

Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim &

Uttarakhand having Coldwater / Hill fisheries resources.

Students from these states are already taking the benefit of

this provision. Students of Fisheries have excelled at

National level in various competitive examinations

conducted for research fellowships and ARS. Under ICAR

JRF, students have shown 100% results (with National

Ranking as high as 3) all along during the past which has

resulted SKUAST-Kashmir to rank at No.3 among the Best

SAUs in India during 2012-2014. Students Enrolment (5 years)

Year BFSc MFSc Ph. D

Enrolled Pass

outs

Enrolled Pass

outs

Enrolled Pass

outs

2014-15 26 10 05 01 - -

2015-16 25 13 06 03 01 01

2016-17 46 27 17 04 02 04

2017-18 38 38 24 07 05 02

2018-19 46 28 12 11 5 1

Students Achievements (Fellowship) Years JRF

(ICAR)

ARS

(ICAR)

MANF

(MoHA)

2014-15 10 01 02

2015-16 13 06 01

2016-17 03 - -

2017-18 33 01 01

2018-19 03 - -

Students Activities:

The students of the Faculty are participating in

various extra- /Co-curricular activities within and outside

the university with brilliant performance. The Faculty has

retained the Badminton Championship Trophy all along

during the past in the university. The Faculty has also

received a prize for excellent performance during Inter-

college competition of all fisheries colleges of India held

at CIFE, Mumbai. The students are regularly participating

in various NSS activities like plantation/ cleanliness drive

and other environmental awareness programmes. Similar

performance is shown by our students in debates etc.

RESEARCH The availability of fishery resources in the hill

region in terms of gene pool is diverse, mainly used as

food, while few of them are used for sport and ornamental

purposes. The distribution of some of the species is

restricted to Kashmir waters, which is very important for

biodiversity of this region. The aquatic resources are

diverse comprising of lakes, wetlands, reservoirs, rivers,

streams, springs etc. About 42 fish species (both exotic and

endemic) are reported from Kashmir. In the high mountain

zones, some of the fish fauna can withstand extreme cold

climate in high-altitude lakes. Such diversified natural

resource bases with wide range of climatic diversity are

very much conducive to conserve and rear various fish

species in upland regions of India.

Faculty of Fisheries comprises of nine

independently functional subject-matter Divisions viz.

Aquaculture, Aquatic Environmental Management, Fish

Genetics & Biotechnology, Fish Nutrition & Bio-

Chemistry, Fish Pathology, Fisheries Resource

Management (FRM), Fishery Engineering, Post-Harvest

Technology (Fisheries) and the Division of Social Sciences

(comprising of disciplines of Fishery Economics,

Statistics, Extension & Computer Sciences) besides a

Fisheries Research-cum-Instructional Farm at Shuhama.

Another such Farm is will be operational at Rangil campus

exclusively for Coldwater fisheries.

A Flow-Through Fish hatchery has been

established at Shuhama campus for seed-production of

local indigenous fishes.

Flow- Through Hatchery, Shuhama

Schizothorax esocinus, a commercially important

snow-trout of Kashmir was maintained under laboratory

conditions with 100% survival in the specially designed

Aquaculture pools with bottom-jet circulation. Complete

ecology and feeding habits of the fish were assessed.

Exhaustive database has been generated for the

first time in the State of Jammu & Kashmir on the eco-

biology of the endangered golden mahseer (Tor putitora).

The potential sites and sanctuaries of the fish have been

identified in the River systems of the State and

communicated to the Fisheries Department (Govt. of

Jammu & Kashmir) for further necessary action.

Technology for seed production of the Snow-trout

(S. niger) has been standardized and the seed produced has

been supplied to the J&K Fisheries Department for

ranching into the natural resources (Dal lake Etc). Efforts

are continuing for seed production of other species of

snow-trouts, grass carp, silver carp and other fish species

for conservation and farming purposes in the State in

general and Kashmir in particular.

Disease diagnosis/therapeutics is being done to

prevent the loss of fish in various culture systems. NFDB

(GoI) funded research project on National Surveillance

programme for Aquatic Animal (Fish) Diseases is in

progress to assess the health status of fish fauna of the

State viz-a-viz various diseases. Emphasis of this project

lies on characterization of new and novel viral agents that

may act as lethal agents to the trout industry of Kashmir

Himalaya. State of art cell culture lab has been developed

under Fish Virus Project at the Rangil campus.

Students undergoing training on Fish health Management

Gene sequencing has been completed in all the

Schizothrocids collected from Kashmir and Ladakh. Under

integrated farming, the Faculty has maintained a demonstration plot

on paddy-cum-fish cultivation at Shuhama Campus. Carps like

Grass, Silver, Common and snow-trouts have also been maintained

in ponds at Shuhama campus for the ultimate benefit of the farmers.

A full fledged Fish Biodiversity Park is contemplated at Rangil for

conservation of Fish germplasm of Kashmir.

EXTERNALLY FUNDED PROJECTS ( 6 Yrs)

Project Funding

Agency

Duration

• Molecular characterization of fish fauna of

Kashmir and Ladakh for taxonomical

identifications.

DST

(GoI)

2011-14

• A Socio-Economic study of fishing community

of Kashmir valley.

DST

(GoJK)

2012-15

• National Surveillance Programme for Aquatic

Animal Diseases.

NFDB

(GoI)

2013-18

• Aquatic Animal Health & EM Lab. Project NFDB

(GoI)

2014-19

• Molecular screening, cell culture based

isolation and characterization of fin fish and

shell fish viruses and establishment of National

repository.

DBT

(GoI)

2017-21

• Development and field validation of low cast

Rainbow trout hatchery technology for

livelihhod enhancement of Ladakhi population

DST

(GoI)

2020-23

3. EXTENSION The Scientists of the faculty are actively engaged in

conducting regular workshops/seminars to the State Development

Department Functionaries, Farmers and Fisher community in the

fields of disease control, fish post harvest technology, water & fish

conservation measures. The Scientists are also attending various

workshops being conducted by the Directorate of Extension besides

sharing experiences with the farmers on electronic/print media and

through personal visits. Kisan Goshtis and Training programmes

including Vocational trainings are also being conducted. The

scientists of this Faculty are being continuously exposed to the latest

scientific developments within and outside the country (China,

Thailand, Japan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, America,

England, South Africa).

Trainees (from Dev. Deptt.) of Fish Disease Management

Programme

mmmm

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

Jobs for fisheries graduates are available with a variety of

employers, including state, central government agencies, academic

institutions, fish farms, fish processing industry, fish feed industry

etc. Many career options are available in this field (public and

private sectors) in aquaculture, capture sector, sea farming etc.

Entry-level fisheries jobs require a graduate degree in fisheries, but

more advanced positions require a master's or doctorate degree.

In State Fisheries Department jobs like Project

Officer/Fisheries Development Officer/Assistant Fisheries

Development Officer (AFDO)/ Fisheries Extension Officer

(FEO)/Inspector fisheries/Farm Manager/Fisheries Development

Assistants etc are available for fisheries professionals. In private

sector, a fisheries graduate has many job opportunities like Quality

Control Officer, Fish Processor, Aquaculturist, Farm Assistant/

Manager etc.

Jobs are also available in foreign countries for Fisheries

graduates and post graduates. Apart from scope for job and

admission for higher education in countries like USA, Canada,

Australia, Japan, China and Europe, there is also demand for

fisheries professionals in the aquaculture and processing sectors in

Gulf and African countries.

IMPACT ON ECONOMY Fish and Fisheries sector occupies a very important place

in the socio-economic development of the J&K. It has been

recognized as a powerful income, source of employment and

nutritious food. This sector is a source of livelihood for a large

section of economically backward population of J&K. The

sustainable, productive fisheries and aquaculture are found to

improve food and nutrition security, increase income and improve

livelihood, promote economic growth and protect our environment

and natural resources. Fisheries sector is considered as an emerging

venture, especially with the privatization of Trout farming and

increase in fish farming at mass level and possesses a potential to

contribute to the economy of Jammu and Kashmir.

Students Hostel, Rangil Fish Farm, Shuhama Campus

FACULTY OF FISHERIES Sher-e-Kashmir

University of Agricultural Sciences & Technology

of Kashmir

Administrative-cum-Academic Block, Rangil

Schizothorax esocinus (Local: Chhurru)

FACULTY OF FISHERIES (A College with Coldwater/Hill Fisheries)

ICAR-NAEAB Accredited Faculty

Rangil, Ganderbal -190006

Address for correspondence

Prof. (Dr.) Masood H. Balkhi

DEAN

FACULTY OF FISHERIES

Rangil, Ganderbal-190006, SKUAST-K

Phone: 0194-2147300, Fax: 0194-2262201

Mob. No. 09419004020, 09796304020

email: masoodbalkhi@gmail.com