A series of five consecutive River Ranching and Dolphin Awareness Programmes organized

11 - 16 June, 2020, Barrackpore, Kolkata

The ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Barrackpore, Kolkata conducted a “Series of 5 consecutive River Ranching and Dolphin Awareness Programmes” from 11^th to 16^th June, 2020. The programmes were organized as a part of the “NAMAMI GANGE” Programme during the post lockdown situation.

Dr. B.K. Das, Director, ICAR-CIFRI and Principal Investigator, CIFRI-NMCG Project highlighted the importance of the day that calls for the sustainable fishery of open waters, conservation of aquatic biodiversity and restoration of fish habitat, etc.

The ranching programmes extended over four major Districts - Burdwan, Nadia, Hooghly and North 24 Parganas of West Bengal.  A total of 2 Lakh advanced fingerlings were released during the entire ranching week at different stretches of the river Ganga namely Nabadwip, Kalna, Balagarh, Tribeni and Barrackpore.

The programme will focus on replenishing IMC (Labeo rohita, Labeo catla, Cirrhnus mrigala and Labeo calbasu) fish resource widely known as Rohu, Catla, Mrigal and Kalbasu in severely stressed area of fish availability. The programme can pave a way for stock enhancement in open water resources that is vital for restoration, conservation and upliftment of this declined fish fauna.

The local fishermen and stakeholders were sensitized about the various factors responsible for the declining fish biodiversity and total fish catch from the river Ganga. These were indiscriminate destruction of brooders and juvenile fishes through use of zero mesh destructive fishing gears.

The awareness programme on Dolphin conservation was also carried out along the Ganga coast from Nabadwip to Barrackpore during the occasion.

(Source: ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Barrackpore, Kolkata)