Major Challenges Through the Transforming Coldwater Fisheries in India

Journal of Coldwater Fisheries 1(1):1-3, 2018 Major challenges through the transforming coldwater fisheries in India A K SINGH National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources, Canal Ring Road, P.O. Dilkusha, Lucknow-226002 (Uttar Pradesh) E-mail:[email protected] ABSTRACT Himalayan River systems in India comprises of the Indus, the Ganges and the Brahmaputra being distinct entities harbouring precious ichthyofaunal diversity. The Schizothoracines are important dominant fishery of these river systems followed by cyprinids while there are numerous small fish species having ornamental value. Unfortunately, the fishery of Himalaya is suffering from anthropogenic stresses, physical barriers in the form of damming and hydropower projects and resulting habitat loss. Since societal development, climate change and ecosystem degradations are stemming into big threats to the natural aquatic resources and their fish germplasm, scientists and policy makers are facing several challenges for sustainable management of the aquatic germplasm resources and aquaculture production enhancement: Keywords: Fishery resources, Sustainable development, Aquaculture diversification; Recreational fishery; Policy framework Development of sustainable fishery resources regulatory measures and public awareness and sensitization (Singh & Akhtar, 2015, Singh & Sarma, 2017; Singh, 2018). The subsistence and commercial fisheries of Himalayan states exploit major important species under Development of eco-tourism and recreational schizothoracines (Schizothorax and Schizothoraichthys fishery spp.) and cyprinids (Tor spp. and Labeo spp.) (Singh et al., 2014). We need to update information on the population Ecotourism is now widely considered as a means status, species diversity and habitat ecology of fish species to encourage community-based conservation and in selected streams of Indian Himalayan so as the manage development through non-consumptive uses and indirect the environmental as well as societal needs (Sehgal, 1999; values to the natural biological resources (Singh et al., Singh and Akhtar, 2015; Singh and Sarma, 2017; Zaidi et 2014a,b; Paul et al., 2016). The Indian Himalayas are al., 2018). Preparation of database on native and endemic the abode of developing, ecotourism, fish watches and fish species of Central, Eastern and Western Himalayas will recreational fishery as there is over 3800 km stretch of river prioritize the species for restoration and special concern streams which can be beautifully developed for the purpose (Singh et al., 2014; Singh & Akhtar, 2015; Singh & Agrawal, as angling of mahseer and brown trout is very popular 2017). Our such monitoring will help us in conserving and here. The recreational angling community offers a social restoring degraded river stretches, wetlands and other inland group that positively support fish conservation as being water bodies and their important germplasm. For enabling engaged in various activities such as monitoring, research, such activities smoothly, institutional governance and management, advocacy and education (Pinder & Raghavan, community-based management for the open water fisheries 2013). will be needed in the Himalayan region. Further, strategic Aquaculture diversification environmental assessment and action towards restoring environmental flow should mandatorily support policy There is a vast scope and potential for enhancing fish makers. In general, upland aquatic conservation strategies production in hills by bringing natural Himalayan lakes should support sustainable development by protecting located at different altitudes, newly created and existing biological resources in ways that will preserve habitats upland reservoirs, under scientific management for fishery and ecosystems. In order to make coldwater fish diversity enhancement. The aquaculture species in hills are trout and conservation to be effective, management measures must carp, which are cultivated in ice-melt cold-water of J&K, be broad based and some of the measures in this direction Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand and Arunachal should include ranching of identified locally depleted Pradesh. The diversification of aquaculture has got two species, conservation aquaculture to sustain imperiled perspectives one is the species diversification and the other species, ecological modeling to mitigate the impacts of system diversification. We need to bring in the available climate change, ecosystem restoration/mitigation efforts, technologies such as cage culture, integrated fish farming, A. K. Singh 2 RAS, biofloc technology for intensification of aquaculture fight out residual effects of anibiotics in fish and inhibiting beside using various local and endemic fish species which the growth of fish bacteria. have promises to the sector. It should also be attempted to Health Management in Cold water Fisheries reduce the single crop culture duration or annual culture of two species on rotation. Further live feed and other Health management and disease diagnostics in species-specific feeds should also be developed to adopt coldwater fishery is now emerging field requiring greater more number of culture species into hill aquaculture. In attention on identification of various pathogens such as addition new orientation adopting culture of new endemic/ parasites, bacteria and viruses including their genomic local species under improvised culture system, improved analysis (Shahi et al., 2018a,b). It is important to develop seed and feed, organic farming and application of modern Risk reduction protocols from pathogenecity of bacteria molecular tool will boost up aquaculture production in the and viruses that can benefit farmers and aquaculturists from sector. additional science based a deeper understanding of the microbial ecology of coldwater systems and especially the Organic trout farming aquaculture practices that influence microbial community Some of the Himalayan states such as Sikkim and to diversity and facilitate opportunistic infections. Further, lesser extent Uttarakhand are deemed as Organic states. It bacteria that utilize sunlight to supplement metabolic activity is important to develop protocols for organic fish farming in mountain region are now being described in a range of including Organic trout farming in these states. This ecosystems (Mocali et al., 2017; Wang et al., 2018). While it endeavor will attract the buyers and add value to the produce is likely that phototrophy provides an important competitive ultimately benefitting the farmers. Due to the increased advantage, the contribution that these microorganisms health consciousness and increased purchasing power of make to the bioenergetics of coldwater ecosystems need to the consumers, demand to ensure mass scale production in be worked out. future will boost up. Policy framework and institutional support Advanced molecular tools and biotechnology In coldwater sector, very generalized policy and Traditional breeding has to take advantage of guidelines are available especially related to closed season, biotechnological tools that are available and being size-limit and bag-limit, lease and farmers welfare in the developed in each potential species. Fish genomics form of Fishery Acts of State Governments and also the wild has been emphasized recently in order to gather basic life protection act 1972 of Ministry of Environment, Forest knowledge as well as application tools and resources for and Climate Change since the forest department happens to genetic improvement of cultivable species. Development be the custodian of major aquatic resources in mountains. of genomic resources has to be taken up in each prioritized However, the growing fisheries and aquaculture activities species through multidisciplinary approach in order to requires more policy frameworks and Institutional support. address breeding, nutrition, health, and abiotic stress Some of the aspects requiring immediate attention are: (a) management. Since skewed sex ration has usually been Guidelines and policy for stocking in the river streams, observed in many important commercial coldwater fish reservoirs and lakes (b) Guidelines on intensification of trout species, milt cryopreservation should be used in gamete farming practices (c) Best Management Practices (BMPs), exchange programmes, breeding and stock improvement. protocols and guidelines on cage culture, and species to be Further, detailed study for sex determining genes and cultured (d) transplantation of highly endemic species (e) sex related genes should also be taken up on priority. For Preparation of State level action plan to maintain brood growth promotion, characterization of myogenic regulatory stocks for all important native germplasm (e) Collection transcripts and study on gut microbiome should also of wild stocks of ornamental fishes from rivers and other be prioritized as there is need to adopt more number of water bodies in the Himalayas and their export need to be coldwater fish species which are usually slow growing. strictly curbed. (e) Promotion of Green certification and In coldwater sector, synthetic peptide based transfection Eco labeling of fish and fishery products from sustainable need to be worked out using cell penetrating peptide for fishing/aquaculture practices. developing nanodelivery system. Besides, synthetic Conclusion neuropeptide hormones viz., Kisspeptin and GnRH analogs should also be worked out for designing bioactive synthetic Strategic Research and Development in coldwater peptide analogs of kisspeptin

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