Inland Fisheries

The Ganga River System

The Ganga river system is the largest river system in India. This system alone harbours not less than 265 species of fish. It consists of two rivers namely, the Ganga and Yamuna and their tributaries. The total combined length of the Gangetic river system is 12,500 km. Its total catchment area is 97.6 million ha (9.71 lakh km²). It is one among the largest river systems in the world. Its water comprises the icy cold Himalayan streams and the warm, biologically more productive waters of the North Indian plains. This system drains the southern slopes of the central Himalayas and covers the states of Haryana, Uttarpradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and parts of Rajasthan and Madhyapradesh. This system harbours the richest freshwater fish fauna of India, ranging from Mahseers and the torrential fishes of hills to the cultivable Gangetic carps, the hilsa and other species.

i) The Ganga

This perennial river originates from Gangotri in Uttar Kashi district in the Himalayas about 3129 m above m.s.l. Its principal tributaries from the northern drainage are the rivers Ramaganga, Gomati and the Tons while those from the southern watershed are Chambal, Betwa and Ken (tributaries of the river Yamuna). In Bihar, it receives the very important tributaries like the Ghagra, Gandak, Burhi, Sone, Bagmati and the Kosi. It bifurcates into Bhagirathi and the Padma which form the boundary between India and Bangladesh. After flowing through a distance of 220 km in Bangaldesh, the Brahmaputra joins the Padma at Goalundo. After meeting another river, Maghna, 100 km downstream, it enters Bay of Bengal.

ii) The Yamuna

The river Yamuna, one of the major components of the Gangetic riverine system borders parts of the states of Punjab and Hariyana and flows through the Union Territory of Delhi. It is about 1000 km long, has its source at about 8 km north of the Yamunotri hot springs in Tehri Garwal (Uttar Pradesh) at 6330 m above m.s.l. in the Himalayas. It flows through Delhi and joins the Ganga at Allahabad.

Fish and Fisheries of the Ganga river system

The head waters of the Ganga system in the upper reaches of the Himalaya have snow trouts, catfishes, mahseers, lesser barils. Upto an elevation of 1067 m, mahseers, Tor putitora, T. tor and Acrosscheilus hexagonolepis, Bagarius bagarius and Labeo dero form main food fishes. In the plains, carps, catfishes (Osteobangrus aor and O. seenghala (collectively called tengra), Wallago attu , Hilsa ilisha, Pangasius, Notopterus etc. constitute the fishery. The prawns, Macrobrachium malcolmsoni and Palaemon lamarrei are also found. The catch statistics over the years indicate some disturbing trends in this riverine fisheries system. The biologically and economically desirable speces have started giving way to the low value species, exhibiting an alarming swing in the population structure of the Gangetic carps. A survey indicates that contribution of Indian major carps has declined from 44.5% to 8% during the later half of the 20th century. In addition, there is an increasing domination of lower age groups in the commercial catches. The fishery of anadromous Hilsa have declined by 96% upstream of Farakka after construction of the Farakka Barrage in1974 due to obstruction of the migration route of the fish.

Fishing gears used

Fishing gears used in the Gangetic system include dip net, cast net, purse net, drag net, drift net, trawl net, bag net, long lines, small trap net etc.,