After years of decline, Kyrgyzstan’s fisheries are seeing a renewal in investment and interest. The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is assisting scientific research, intended to help improve yields, at private fish farms located at Kyrgyzstan’s Issyk-Kul and Song-Kul lakes.
New Business Hatches At Kyrgyzstan’s Fish Farms
![Fishermen travel across Lake Issyk-Kul, the site of some of Kyrgyzstan's fish farms.](https://gdb.rferl.org/fca50e20-287a-4dab-ad5a-c76fe000ad3c_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Fishermen travel across Lake Issyk-Kul, the site of some of Kyrgyzstan's fish farms.
![A man-made lake at the Karakol fish farm in the Ak-Suu region.](https://gdb.rferl.org/ad030914-9443-4fbb-b9ae-b179a9c6e8ab_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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A man-made lake at the Karakol fish farm in the Ak-Suu region.
![The Karakol fish farm has 16 man-made lakes over 75 hectares, but just four are in operation.](https://gdb.rferl.org/b1d7a04d-e283-4189-8ca8-eeec43bbb668_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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The Karakol fish farm has 16 man-made lakes over 75 hectares, but just four are in operation.
![During the Soviet era, some Kyrgyz fisheries could produce as much as 500 tons of fish a year. Today, all Kyrgyz fisheries combined produce 300 tons of fish annually.](https://gdb.rferl.org/0b0808d5-d920-4ede-bd1f-d069b1d3d656_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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During the Soviet era, some Kyrgyz fisheries could produce as much as 500 tons of fish a year. Today, all Kyrgyz fisheries combined produce 300 tons of fish annually.
![](https://gdb.rferl.org/e6734913-42d6-4f09-85f0-497af111bcd2_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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![Reviving the fish-farming industry is expected to require a high level in investment in food, infrastructure, and breeding laboratories.](https://gdb.rferl.org/2ea70c66-728b-410e-9096-250278b7df3a_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Reviving the fish-farming industry is expected to require a high level in investment in food, infrastructure, and breeding laboratories.
![A variety of species are raised in local hatcheries.](https://gdb.rferl.org/dfad24fe-e014-4e82-963e-2dea8e4d45d9_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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A variety of species are raised in local hatcheries.
![Researchers collect data on local specimens. The UN's Food and Agriculture Organization is assisting Kyrgyz fisheries in improving production.](https://gdb.rferl.org/75236388-a1f5-4e29-9039-4d63a6d72d83_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Researchers collect data on local specimens. The UN's Food and Agriculture Organization is assisting Kyrgyz fisheries in improving production.
![](https://gdb.rferl.org/0c2b9e75-77dd-482e-920b-21289443284e_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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![](https://gdb.rferl.org/5320606b-889d-4056-8674-a15dcc15d82e_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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![](https://gdb.rferl.org/dca9f1a7-0518-4606-a40d-90b94ffeaabf_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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![](https://gdb.rferl.org/538c1189-55d1-45b1-8f05-e2bc6f81da1e_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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![](https://gdb.rferl.org/20be88a0-f3bf-4444-a558-c11cb9d17e87_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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