ANNOUNCEMENTS
Riverine fish diversity conservation is usually considered to collide with anthropogenic activities and abstraction (e.g., fish resources). Overexploited fishing activities disturb the harmony among regional economy requirement and endangered species conservation. Riverine species like Gangetic dolphins interface closely with fishing activities, frequently with harmful consequences as they are also known to prey on some fishes. In this study, fish resources economic has been evaluated from some of the major fish markets of Kolkata and landing competition between native and exotic fish resources in the markets has been determined with their implications in the river system. Among indigenous fishes, Labeo catla, Lates calcarifer, Labeo rohita, Tenualosa ilisha, Sperata aor, Ompok pabda and Chitala chitala were found to be contributing significantly to the commercial fishing, while among the recorded exotic species, exotic carp viz. Hypophthalmichthys molitrix (Silver carp) and Oreochromis mossambicus (Telapia) were found to be preferred by consumers due to their easy availability and affordability. Though these exotic fishes have been claimed to be invasive in middle stretches of river Ganga with naturalized population, frequent monitoring of such invasive natured exotic fish is required in lower stretches of the river as they are recorded with high production in this study. This study will help understand the fish resource from the habitat of Gangetic dolphins through economics and availability of fish species in markets which can help in restoring of the natural composition of fish diversity in the study area to mitigate the conflict of commercial fishery with dolphin prey base which should be one of the prime concern for fisheries sector and dolphin conservation efforts.
Keywords: Commercial fishing, Invasive, Conservation.
