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Dehradun. A new page has been added in the history of development of Uttarakhand. This is the first time after the formation of the state that the fish here has made a mark in the international market. The first consignment of ‘Rainbow Trout’ fish prepared in the valleys of border district Pithoragarh has reached the neighboring country Nepal. With the help of the state government, three local cooperative societies have together supplied about five metric tons of fish to Nepal. The big thing is that this is just the beginning, complete preparations have been made to send about 30 tonnes of fish from Uttarakhand to foreign countries in the coming days.

Actually, behind this big success is the hard work of the local people of Dharchula and Munsiyari of Pithoragarh. Fisheries Development Minister Saurabh Bahuguna shared official details of this historic achievement during a press conference at the media center of the state secretariat. He said that from this first consignment, 33 fishermen of the area have directly got a bumper income of about ₹ 23.50 lakh. This is being considered a revolutionary step towards self-employment in the hilly areas.

How did Uttarakhand’s fish reach Nepal from Pithoragarh?

This journey from the mountains to the international market was not so easy. For this, a cold-chain network was prepared. Fish from Munsiyari and Dharchula were sent to Veraval in Gujarat under strict temperature control. It was processed there in a modern plant and after packaging, it was launched in the Nepal market on 23 June 2026.

The Fisheries Department of Dhami Government also left no stone unturned to promote this first export. Gap funding assistance of ₹ 5.40 lakh was provided by the department for harvesting, packaging and transportation. In fact, some time ago the Uttarakhand government had participated in the ‘Gulf Food Expo’ organized in Dubai. The contact made with foreign buyers has resulted in this big order today. Now the department’s eyes are fixed on the markets of Europe, Middle-East and South-East Asia.

Dhami government’s policies and deal with ITBP

Fisheries Minister Saurabh Bahuguna says that under the leadership of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, the government has made concrete policies to strengthen this sector. The effect of this is that local youth are getting employment in the village itself. Apart from local markets, a special agreement (MoU) was signed with the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) in the year 2024. Under this, till now 45.10 metric tonnes of trout fish worth ₹ 2.10 crore has been supplied to the army personnel, due to which the farmers have got a direct market.

More than double the speed and participation of women

How fast the scope of fisheries is increasing in Uttarakhand can be understood from the figures. By the year 2022, only 10,011 people were associated with this business in the state, which has increased to 15,657 today. The most pleasing aspect is that these include 3,584 women fish farmers, who are making the hill economy self-reliant.

If we talk about the production rate, while the growth rate was only two percent between 2012-17, it has jumped to 11 percent between 2022-26. A total of 11,805 metric tonnes of fish was produced in the state in the financial year 2026-27, whose market value is estimated at around ₹165 crore.

Huge increase in budget and future plans

As the scope of work increased, the government also opened the coffers of the budget. While the annual budget of the Fisheries Department was only ₹ 55.76 crore in the year 2021-22, it has been increased to ₹ 261.41 crore in the year 2026-27. In the last four years, this sector has created new self-employment opportunities for 5,646 people.

Fisheries Director Chandra Singh Dharamshaktu, present in the press conference, said that the government’s ‘New Trout Promotion Scheme’ and ‘Mukhyamantri Matsya Sampada Yojana’ are proving to be a game changer for this sector. This sector is no longer limited to fish production only, but is becoming the backbone of rural livelihoods and the entire economy of Uttarakhand.