Fisheries of Indian Shad (Tenualosa ilisha) in the Hooghly–Bhagirathi stretch of the Ganga River system
Keywords:
hydrology, anadromous, spawning, recruitment, size distribution, breeding ground, conservationAbstract
Tenualosa ilisha, the Indian Shad, is one of the most important commercial fish of the Indo-Pacific region and the Hilsa fishery in India is dependent on this species. Presently, the fishery resource of the species lies largely within the Bhagirathi–Hooghly component of the Ganga River system. The annual fish catch of Hilsa from the Bhagirathi–Hooghly River has fluctuated over the years ranging between 12,733 and 20,000 t between 2000–2001 and 2010–2012.
The monsoon migration of Hilsa commences in July and gradually picks up in August. From September onwards, the magnitude of migration to the freshwater system showed a declining trend. Stretches between Nischintapur and Diamond Harbour downstream, Hooghly Ghat and Kalna in the freshwater tidal zone, and Lalbagh to Farakka in the Bhagirathi River have been delineated as potential breeding grounds for Hilsa. The intense fishing pressure in the coastal estuarine zone almost year round, especially in breeding season, adversely affects the breeding migration, spawning, and recruitment success vis a vis overall fishery of Hilsa in the system. There is an immediate need to implement effective conservation measures to protect breeders, potential breeding grounds, and juveniles for the cause of sustainable Hilsa fishery.
References
Anon, 1975–2012. Annual Reports, CIFRI.
Anon, 2010–2012. Report of Department of Fisheries, Government of West Bengal.
APHA, 1995. Standard Methods for the Examination of water and wastewater, 19th Ed. American Public Health Association, New York.
Bhanot, K.K., 1973. Observations on the spawning of Hilsa ilisha (Hamilton) in the Hooghly estuary. J. Inland Fish. Soc. India 5, 50–54.
Bhaumik, U., 2010. Status of fishery of Indian Shad, (Tenualosa Ilisha) with reference to the Hooghly river system, Souvenir. pp. 66-81. 21stAll India Congress of Zoology and National Seminar on Biodiversity Conservation with reference to fisheries management for food, livelihood and environment security held at CIFRI, Barrackpore, 2010 December 21–23.
Bhaumik, U., 2012. Status of Hilsa fishery in India. In. Hilsa: Status of Fishery and its potentiality for Aquaculture, World Fish Center, Dhaka, 61–95.
Bhaumik, U., Sharma, A.P., 2011. The fishery of Indian Shad (Tenualosa ilisha) in the Bhagirathi-Hooghly river system. Fishing Chimes 31 (8), 21–27.
Bhaumik, U., Sharma, A.P., 2012. Present Status of Hilsa in Hooghly- Bhagirathi river, CIFRI Bulletin 179, 42.
Bhaumik, U., Srivastava, N.P, Satpathy, B.B, Mukhopadhyay, M.K, Sharma, A.P., 2011a. Impact of hydro-ecology on fish migration in selected east coast estuaries. J. Inland Fish.Soc.India 43(1), 1–9.
Bhaumik, U., Naskar, M., Sharma, A.P, 2011b. Size distribution, length-weight relationship and sex ratio of the Hilsa (Tenualosa ilisha) in the Hooghly estuarine system. J. Inland Fish. Soc. India 43(2), 1–5, 2011.
De, D.K., 1980. Maturity, fecundity, and post monsoon run of Hilsa in the upper stretches of the Hooghly estuarine system, J. Inland Fish. Soc. India. 12(1), 54–63.
De, D.K., 1986. Studies on the food and feeding habit of Hilsa, Hilsa ilisha (Hamilton) of the Hooghly estuarine system and some aspects of its biology. Ph. D. Thesis, Calcutta University.
Hora, S.L., 1938. A preliminary note on the spawning grounds and bionomics of the so called Indian Shad Hilsa ilisha in the river Ganges, Rec. Indian. Mus. 40, 147–148.
Jones, S., 1959. Fishing methods of Indian Shad, Hilsa ilisha in the Indian region, Part 1 and Part 2. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 56, 250–275.
Mitra, P.M., Ghosh, K.K., Saigal, B.N., Sarkar, N.D., Roy, A.K., Mandal N.C., Paul, A.R., 1987. Fishing gears of the upper and the middle Hooghly estuary. Bull 40. CIFRI, Barrackpore.
Pillay, T.V.R., 1958. Biology of the hilsa, Hilsa ilisha (Hamilton) of the river Hooghly. Indian J. Fish. 5, 201–257.
Rahman, M.A., Alam, M. A., Hasan, S. J., Zaher, M., 2012. Hilsa (Tenualosa ilisha Ham.) Fishery Management in Bangladesh, In: Hilsa: Status of Fishery and Potential for Aquaculture. The World Fish Centre, Dhaka 40–60.
Saxena, R.K., 1964. The fishing nets and traps in a section of the middle reaches of Ganga River System of India. Proc. Indo – Pacif. Fish. Coun. 11, 250–271.
Saxena, R.K., Chandra, R., 1968. On the Introduction of Phasla Jal, a gill net, for catching hilsa in the Ganges and Yamuna near Allahabad. J. Bombay Nat.Hist. Soc. 65, 496–498.
Swarup, K., 1958. The Hilsa Fishery at Allahabad Proc. Nat. Seat. Sci., India, B. 28, 379–394.
Published
Issue
Section
License
Manuscripts must be original. They must not be published or be under consideration for publication elsewhere, in whole or in part. It is required that the lead author of accepted papers complete and sign the MSU Press AEHM Author Publishing Agreement and provide it to the publisher upon acceptance.
