Assam: Concern over release of two exotic fishes in water bodies

CORRESPONDENT

TINSUKIA: Environmentalists and fish biologists have expressed serious ramifications over the release of two exotic fishes without carrying out proper impact studies to control spread of Japanese Encephalitis (JE), malaria dengue etc. instead of effective native larvivorous fishes.

The Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) recently released two exotic fishes, namely Gambusia and Guppy (Poecilia), into municipal drains of Guwahati. According to Dr SP Biswas, former professor of Dibrugarh University and also an expert in fish biology, these exotic fishes create negative impact on water bodies.

The experiments conducted by his team revealed that many local fishes, including native murrels (Channa sp), were much better than exotic fishes and can easily acclimatize in stagnant water bodies like small pits, ponds, beels etc, Dr Biswas opined.

Aparajita Gogoi of Digboi College viewed that the exotic fishes impart adverse effects on native fishes as seen in the case of giant Thai Magur which literally wiped out many indigenous local fishes over the years. They have urged the authorities to look into alternative method of biocontrol to deal with mosquito larvae by using indigenous fishes.

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