Resources, breeding, ecotourism, conservation, policies and issues of Indian mahseer: A review

Abstract

Mahseers are distributed in the lacustrine and riverine ecosystems of many Asian countries in the Himalayan belt of Indian subcontinent, from Afghanistan in west to Myanmar in east. They have a reputation of being one of the hardest fighting game fish which attracts anglers from all over the world and manifests higher potential for eco-tourism and ample livelihood opportunities of local communities. However, due to various factors like pollution, environmental degradation, habitat fragmentation by hydroelectric and irrigation projects and indiscriminate fishing, their population in natural water bodies/ habitat had declined sharply. Development of artificial propagation of mahseers helps providing seed for stocking in natural and manmade water bodies, thus promising supplies of the fish for food and sport while assuring the conservation of this magnificent fish. This review article not only aims to summarize the published reports on various aspects related to mahseer taxonomy, resources, breeding, propagation, conservation including recent advances but also enlightens the policies and issues of mahseer fisheries in India.