The Fisheries Department issued guidelines on how to respond to flood-damaged fish farming ponds.
Fish farmers are asked to follow post-flood management rules in fish ponds. Flooding fish ponds can cause weeds, hazardous substances, toxic pesticide residue, waterborne diseases and bacteria to spread to the surroundings. Therefore, residents nearby are asked to boil water to make it safe to drink and use. The fish farmers need to do water quality testing, identify possible fish diseases in the pond, divide fish species and remove predatory fish.
Moreover, they need to restore the banks of ponds after being washed away during floods, place sandbags in low areas of fish ponds to increase height and capacity, fill sandbags for maintenance, plant grass to prevent erosion, put bamboo railing in fish farms to deter the invasion of cattle and pigs, repair and examine drainage channels to ensure sanitation level and avert fish diseases, along with maintenance measures of the fish ponds.
Then, clearing invasive plants and sludge in fish ponds, fish tests to clear dead fish that may carry pathogens that could spread to other fish, not having buildings or lakes that could block wastewater channels, drawing layout plans to ensure sanitation and channels to have a smooth flow to transport intermediate goods. The department also announced that water tests in fish farming ponds, water treatment, and incorporation of suitable fish and inputs into the pond will be carried out to redevelop fish ponds.