Fisherman Nikolai Radchenko shares: “When I catch fish in a rented water body, I don’t rush to take it to the market. Instead, I place it in a small pool that I built myself. I used available materials, such as plastic film. If the fish gets injured from the net or during transportation, I treat its wounds, and they heal quickly. I also aerate the water, enriching it with oxygen, which allows the fish to survive in such conditions for up to two weeks. If I had made a larger pool, I would have to deal with feeding the fish as well. One acquaintance who is a fish farmer does just that, and his carp and snakeheads live for years. Creating even a small cage pool requires certain investments, depending on its size. However, it pays off: if I can’t catch fish, there’s always fresh fish available for sale. In such conditions, different species of fish, including crayfish, coexist well, and live fish is always in higher demand and costs more than frozen or not fresh fish. Everyone understands that live fish is healthier and tastier,” he shares his experience.
Despite successful examples in the Jayil district, this approach to aquaculture is still used by only a limited number of fish farmers. The reason lies in the fact that creating a specialized pool requires significant costs and certain engineering efforts. Most fishermen and water body renters prefer the familiar scheme: catch the fish — straight to the market.
