Title : Present status of fish & fisheries and conservation of fishes of Kashmir Himalaya through induced breeding techniques in Kashmir Himalaya, India
Abstract:
Kashmir valley located in the North Western Himalaya is famous for being an abode of diverse network of lentic and lotic ecosystems with diverse fish fauna. The demotechnic growth, urbanization of rural centers and deforestation has resulted in the deterioration of fresh water ecosystem in Kashmir, at an alarming level. Consequently the aquatic ecosystems are being variably reduced to the sinks of wastes emanating from human settlements, agricultural fields, orchards, surface run off etc. Needless to mention such aggressive anthropogenic interferences have adversely affected the indwelling biota in general and fish in particular. With the result the important fish germplasm from the region is either extirpated from certain water bodies and are restricted to certain patches or some have become extinct. Over the years, the fish diversity and fish catch of the fishes in the region especially of indigenous fishes has decreased. Schzithoarcines (snow trouts), common carps and trouts (exotics) are the commercially important fishes. The technology of breeding of exotic trouts is well established but that of snow trouts and common carps in the region is not yet properly established.
In order to conserve the fishes and produce the quality seed of some prized fishes of Kashmir like S. ecosinus and Cyprinus carpio Var. communis attempts have been made. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to develop induced breeding technique of some important fishes in Kashmir. In present study, the effects of different doses of ovatide on induced spawning activities of females of S. ecosinus and Cyprinus carpio var. communis were treated with ovatide at the rate of 0.3, 0.5 and 0.7ml/kg body weight and the males were treated at the rate of 0.3ml/kg. The doses of ovatide at the rates of 0.3, 0.5 and 0.7 ml/kg body weight resulted in 83.3%, 100% and 83.3% in S. ecosinus and 66.6%, 88.8% and 66.6% in C. c. var. communis ovulation respectively. The Spawning fecundity at 0.3, 0.5 and 0.7ml ovatide /kg body weight was observed as 30,000, 35,150, 32,000 in S. ecosinus and 49577.33, 68931, 56747.6 in C. c. var. communis. The fertilization rate at 0.3, 0.5 and 0.7ml ovatide /kg body weight was observed 96%,99.5% and 98% in S ecosinus and 81.14%, 82.7%, 80.1% in in C. c. var. communis. The hatching rate at 0.3, 0.5 and 0.7ml ovatide/kg body weight was observed as 78%, 82% and 80% in S ecosinus and 70.02, 69.26, 71.08 in C. c. var. communis. The doses of ovatide at the rates of 0.5ml/kg body weight for female was found to be satisfactory for breeding performance in terms of ovulation, fecundity in both fishes and could prove helpful for the sustenance of the both fish species.
