Mumbaikars angle for steps to save game fish Mumbai:
It is difficult to believe that a threatened species is being
conserved in the heart of the concrete jungle. Efforts to conserve the mahseer got a boost on Wednesday when the Maharashtra State Angling Association (MSAA) released 2,500 fingerlings of the world famous game fish in the waters of Powai lake. The fish from the carp family can grow to a length of 4.5 feet and attain a weight of 55 kg in big rivers but is fast facing extinction because of pollution, habitat loss and overfishing. The fingerlings released in Powai are 2.5 to 4 inches long and are expected to weigh up to 2 kg in an year. According to Gordon Rodricks, vicepresident of MSAA, the largest mahseer caught in Powai in recent memory was five years ago. It was two feet long and weighed 8 kg. MSAA president Arif Ali says his biggest catch in Powai was a catla which weighed 14 kg. That was more than 10 years ago. The MSAA, which has nearly 300 members, does not permit the mahseer to be removed from Powai lake and anglers who hook them are bound to release them back. However, they are allowed to take home other species, which weigh between 3 kg and 8 kg. The MSAA has been introducing fishes in Powai for the past 70 years so that the fish population is maintained. In the last 20 years though, the mahseer has stopped breeding in Powai because of pollution from sewage from the housing colonies around and untreated chemicals from nullahs. According to Rodricks, the lake which is just 50 feet at the deepest, also accumulates poison as water absorbs some chemicals from car exhaust fumes. MSAA estimates that just 50 % of the fingerlings survive to adulthood as they are devoured by natural predators such as Tilapia mozimbiqua, a black pomfret-shaped fish and cat fish, which breed fast. Poachers who enter the lake in tyre tubes in the night also deplete the numbers of mahseer. HOOKED ON TO MAHSEER The mahseer, the most magnificent of India’s many freshwater game fishes, has already captured the hearts and imaginations of anglers from all over the world. It is noted for its size and can attain a weight of well over 100 pounds as seen in the Kaveri, where the state government has reserved certain stretches for its conservation. Gordon Rodricks, MSAA honorary general-secretary, said it was also known for its indomitable fighting spirit. |