INTRODUCTION
- The Sikkim Fisheries Department said the Sikkim government had declared the “Copper Mahseer” locally known as “Katley” as the state’s fish.
- The state’s fisheries department official mentioned the government has declared ‘Neolissochilus hexagonolepis’ as the state fish
- The decision was made to emphasize the importance of the fish as well as emphasize on the conservation measures of the fish. The Katley fish in the state of Sikkim has a high market value.Also, it is popular with the general public in the state.
ALL ABOUT KATLEY FISH –
- The Katley in Sikkim are found at various elevations that cover the entire state, mainly limited to the Rangit and Teesta rivers and the tributaries.
- It is one of the most dominant fishes of the Teesta River originating from the northern glaciers.
- CS Rai, the Additional Director of the Directorate of Fisheries announced that the ICAR National Bureau of Fisheries Genetic Resources (ICAR-NBFGR), in 1992, declared Katley Fish to be threatened species.
- Later in the year 2014, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) also classified the same.
OPENING OF RESERVOIRS IN SIKKIM –
- The Head of Fisheries Department announced that the Sikkim government has announced that the state reservoirs will soon be open for fishing activities.
- The Directorate of Fisheries will be issuing permits to an individual fisherman or fisherman’s cooperative or the SHG interested in fishing in the reservoirs under existing arrangements under the Sikkim Fishing Rules of 1990.
