BHUBANESWAR: The bad news was ‘Ilishi’, ‘Nahama’, ‘Paniakhia’, ‘Kalakhuranta’, ‘Kekenda’ and ‘Sebakhainga’ __ all popular fish species among Odia households __ had gone missing in Chilika. The good news: the latest assessment says the species are back in the 1,100 sq km brackish water lagoon.The species are ilishi (Tenualosa ilisha), Nahama (Elops machnata), Paniakhia (Megalops cyprinoides), Kalakhuranta (Acanthopagrus berda), Kekenda (Rhynomugil corsula) and Sebakhainga (Chanos chanos). More importantly, most of these species have grown to reach commercial scale. The lagoon, which has registered a record landing in the last one year, has surprised its managers with the recovery of the lost species. During 2011-12, the annual production from the lake touched an all-time high of 14,228 metric tonne.At a time when fishery resources are in a declining trend in global marine and coastal ecosystem, Chilika seems to be an exception. The hydrological intervention in Chilika lake in 2000 has been attributed to the resurfacing of the lake fishery. From a meagre 1,745 metric tonne in 1999-2000, the production has spiraled. The average fish landing during 2001-02 to 2009-10 was 11,676 metric tonne per annum. Along with the productivity of the fish, diversity of the lake has also improved. The assessment shows that species diversity stands at 317 fish, 28 prawns and shrimps, 35 brachyuran crabs and two spiny lobsters. Known for prawn and crabs, Chilika has reported a record prawn landing during the year at 6,413.91 metric tonne which is all-time high. The previous highest prawn landing of 5,000 tonne was recorded in 2004-05. Similarly, the total crab landing during the year was recorded at 358.26 metric tonne, a record.“Total fisheries output which is all-time high may also be attributable to high floods during the year. The high floods trigger high production of natural fish food in the ecosystem leading to successful fish seed recruitment and good fish stock development,” Chief Executive of Chilika Development Authority Dr Ajit Kumar Patnaik said.However, landing of only fish, recorded at 7,456.03 metric tonne, has reached a plateau of sorts. Compared to 2003-04 when the lagoon recorded all-time high of 10,000-odd metric tonne, it is a 27.51 per cent drop. This has been due to large-scale wanton killing of juvenile fishes in outer channel by using large size bag nets and due to concentrated ‘khanda’ fishing. The practices have flourished in the absence of implementation of any regulatory and prohibitory laws.
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