An entrepreneur from Akmola Oblast Adil Galimov has bred large sturgeons in artificial ponds not far from Astana, Tengrinews reports citing KTK channel.
An entrepreneur from Akmola Oblast Adil Galimov has bred large sturgeons in artificial ponds not far from Astana, Tengrinews reports citing KTK channel.
It was considered almost impossible to breed sturgeon in the climate as harsh as that of northern Kazakhstan, but the entrepreneur proved the opposite.
At first, the enthusiasts rented the land, dug the pits and filled them with water. Within months, the baby sturgeons brought from Russia grew into seven-nine kilogram fish.
“This region has never been associated with sturgeon. It seemed that sturgeon did not belong in the local ponds. However, we have proved that it can live here. Today, we have an opportunity to release the fish into the Ishim River, and ichthyologists (zoologists who specializes in the study of fish) claim that there are good conditions for the sturgeon to grow here, “ Adil Galimov said.
Astana officials already expressed interest in this idea.
“This is the fish’s early development stage. I hope that in 5-10 years our northern region can produce a large amount of fish for Kazakhstan's entire population and for export,” Vice-Chairman of the Board of KazAgro National Company Kairat Aituganov said.
The businessman said that with the support of the government, large-size sturgeon could be raised in the Ishim (Yesil) and Irtysh rivers and in many other water reservoirs located in northern Kazakhstan.
Experts believe that fishing for sturgeon in Astana and nearby resorts may be a surprise treat for guests of the EXPO-2017 to be held in Astana.
“If we start doing it (raising sturgeon) now, by the year 2017, our guests may enjoy an opportunity of catch a Siberian sturgeon in the Scshuchinsk resort lakes,” Adil Galimov said.
Currently, the Yesil River is not a place where one can catch a lot of fish, but if the idea gets the support, the river may one day become a popular site for fishermen.
Writing by Assel Satubaldina, editing by Tatyana Kuzmina