Inland Fisheries

The Indus River System

Though massive as a whole, it has only a small segment left in the present-day India. The rivers of the North West Himalayas are the Indus, the Jhelum, the Chenab, the Ravi, the Beas and the Sutlej. This system harbours the exotic rainbow and brown trouts in their upper reaches and a variety of indigenous carps and catfishes in their lower sections. Trout streams of Kashmir constitute one of the world’s richest sport fishing waters attracting tourists from all over the world.

i) River Indus

The Indus originates in the northern slopes of the Kailash range in Tibet. It enters Indian Territory in Jammu and Kashmir. The fish fauna of the upper reaches of Indus rivers has not been fully explored because of its inaccessibility. The major fishes in Indus are Schizopygopsis stoliczkee, L. gontius, Rita buchanani, Sisor rhabdophorm, Exostoma stolicizkae, Trichogaster sp, Nemacheilus spp.

ii) River Jhelum

The Jhelum originates in the south-eastern part of Kashmir, in a spring at Verinag. It flows into the Wular Lake, which lies to the north, and then into Baramula. Only a small part of the river Jhelum flows through Jammu and Kashmir. Its catchment area upto Indo-Pakistan border is 34,775 km². The common fishes found in the river Jhelum include Schizothoraichthys spp, six species of Schizothorax, Diptynchus maculatus, Cyprinus carpio, Labeo dero, Crosscheilus diplochilus, Salmo trutta fario, Glyptosternum reticulatum, Botia birdi and Nemacheilus gracilis, Nemacheilus kashmirensis.

iii) River Chenab

The Chenab originates from the confluence of two rivers, the Chandra and the Bhaga, which themselves originate from either side of the Bara Lacha Pass in Lahul. It is also known as the Chandrabhaga in Himachal Pradesh. It enters the plains of Punjab near Akhnur and is later joined by the Jhelum. It is further joined by the Ravi and the Sutlej in Pakistan. Its catchment area upto Indo-Pakistan border is 26,155 km². The fishes that are common in the river Chenab are Dipthychus maculates and Glyptothorax kashmirensis.

iv) River Ravi

The Ravi originates near the Rotang pass in the Kangra Himalayas and follows a north-westerly course. It flows as a part of the Indo-Pakistan border for some distance before entering Pakistan and joining the Chenab river. The total length of the river, Ravi is about 720 km. Its catchment area is 14,442 km². The major fishes presnt in the river are Amblypharyngodon mola, Barilius bendelisis, Carassius carassius, Catla catla, Cirrhina mrigala, C. reba, Cyprinus carpio, Labeo spp, Tor tor, Mastacembelus armatus, Channa spp., Trichogaster fasciatus, Clarias batrachus, Heteropneustes fossilis, Mystus spp., Ompok bimaculatus, O. padba, Rita rita and Wallago attu.

v) River Beas

The river, Beas originates in Beas Kund, lying near the Rohtang pass. It runs past Manali and Kulu, where its beautiful valley is known as the Kulu valley. It joins the Sutlej river near Harika, after being joined by a few tributaries. The total length of the river is 615 km. Its catchment area is 20,303 km². The most common fishes are Xenetodon cansi, Gadusia chapra, Amblypharyngodon mola, Barbus spp, Carassius carassiusus spp, Catla catla, Chela spp, Cirrhina mrigala, C. reba, Cyprinus carpio, Labeo spp, Danio devario, Tor tor, Nemacheilus botia, Oxygaster gora, Puntius spp, Rasbora daniconius, Mastacembelus armatus, Channa spp., Trichogaster fasciatus, Clarias batrachus, Heteropneustes fossilis, Notopterus spp.

vi) River Sutlej

The river, Sutlej originates from the Rakas Lake, which is connected to the Manasarovar Lake by a stream, in Tibet. It flows in a north-westerly direction and enters Himachal Pradesh at the Shipki Pass, where it is joined by the Spiti river. It cuts deep gorges in the ranges of the Himalayas, and finally enters the Punjab plain after cutting a gorge in a hill range, the Naina Devi Dhar, where the Bhakra Dam having a large reservoir of water, called the Gobind Sagar, has been constructed. It turns west below Rupar and is later joined by the Beas. It enters Pakistan near Sulemanki, and is later joined by the Chenab. It has a total length of almost 1500 km. A total of 70 sp have been recorded from the river Sutlej. The most common among them include Wallago attu, Clarius batrachus, Hetetropneustes fossilis, Mystus spp, Rita rita, Eutropiichthys vacha, Notopterus notopeterus, N. chitala, Puntius spp, Colisa fasciatus, Esomus danricus and Chela laubuca.