The Coldwater fishery resources in India comprise high and mid-latitude lakes, rivers, streams, tributaries which are suitable for the well-being of trout, mahseer, snow-trout and minnows and minor carp species. The temperature of cold water fisheries is 5 to 20 with an optimum temperature of 10-12 which falls within the tolerable limit of the species existing. In the Indian sub-continent, the cold-water fisheries are concentrated in North Himalayan and Sub-Himalayan Zone and Deccan Plateau in the South. The Cold-water fisheries are known for their high velocity, high dissolved oxygen, rapids, cascades, etc. and substratum comprising of boulder, sand rock, pebbles. It harbors about 272 fish species belonging to 21families, 76 genera of which 203 were recorded from the Himalayan region, while 91 from the Deccan region.
| State | Length (Km) | Water Bodies (Lakh Hectare) |
|---|---|---|
| Sikkim | 0.90 | 0.03 |
| Meghalaya | 5.60 | 0.10 |
| Tripura | 1.20 | 0.17 |
| Mizoram | 1.40 | 0.02 |
| Manipur | 3.36 | 0.46 |
| Nagaland | 1.60 | 0.67 |
| Arunachal Pradesh | 2.00 | 0.04 |
Important Coldwater Fish Species
| Snow-trout | Schizothorax richardsonii, S. kumaonensis, Schizothoraichthys curvifrons, S. niger, S. esocinus, S. progastus, Diptychus maculatus |
| Mahseer | Tor putitora, T. tor, T. khudree , Neolissochelus hexagonolepis |
| Minor carps | Tor putitora, T. tor, T. khudree , Neolissochelus hexagonolepis |
| Minnows | Raiamas bola, Barilius bendelisis, B. barila, B. vagra, Garragotyla, G. lamta, |
| Catfishes | Glyptothorax pectinopterus, Pseudechenesis sulcatus, Pterocryptis wynaadensis |
| Loaches | Botia almorhae, B. birdii, Nemacheilus multifasciatus, N. rupicola |
| Exotics | Oncorhynchus mykiss, Salmotrutta fario, Ctenopharyngodon idella, Cyprinus carpio, Carassius Carassius, Tinca tinca |
Coldwater fish of the uplands provides scope for the development of sport fisheries. Brown trout (Salmotrutta fario), rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and certain species of large-scaled barbels like Golden mahseer ( Tor putitora), Deep-bodied mahseer ( Tor tor), Copper mahseer ( Tor mosal), Chocolate mahseer ( Neolissocheilus hexagonolepis) are the principal species of sports value in North-Eastern states.
Coldwater fishes in the region are of mainly subsistence nature. A few, however, such as snow trout (Schizothoraxspp., Schizothoraichthys spp. and Lepidopygopsistypus), large-scaled barbels (Tor spp.), common carp (Cyprinus carpio) and a few minor carps (Labeo dero and L. dyocheilus) are some of the commercially important food fishes. Trout are cultured in aqua farms in various states.
pTrout Farms:
| Sl. No | State | Number |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sikkim | 3 |
| 2 | Arunachal Pradesh | 2 |
| 3 | Manipur | 1 |
Some colorful and fascinating species inhabiting different aquatic resources of the cold-water zones are recognized as ornamental fishes. Uplands of the northeast Himalayas of the country are known as a repository of ornamental fish species. Species like Danio devario, Botia almorhae, Barilius bendelisis, Barilius bakeri, Labeo nandina, Gageta cenia, Conta conta, Carassius carassius have tremendous scope for ornamental Fisheries.
The variable microclimatic conditions coupled with thermal variables make the cold water fisheries development a challenging task. Though various attempts have been made with initiated by Sir Francies Day in 1863, fish farming practice has been discouraging in upland water to date. Trout farming was initiated in the NE hill state of Arunachal Pradesh in 1967-68. However, the culture fishery is in its infant stage in this part of the country. Reasons for poor development could be attributed to high gravel to sand percentage in soil, high seepage, non-availability of natural quality seeds, temperature-linked low productivity and lack of proper support mechanisms.
Source:
1. Handbook of Fisheries and Aquaculture
2. DAHDF, 2004
Jorhat, PIN - 785013 Assam