Chitala Fish

Sept. 6, 2023

Recently, the Union Minister for Fisheries, Livestock and Dairying announced that river ranching of the Uttar Pradesh state fish Chitala will be carried out to increase its population in natural water sources like the Ganga.

About Chitala Fish:

It is an obligate, typically nocturnal, predator feeding on smaller fishes.
Distribution
- Although often reported to range throughout most of southern Asia, this species is probably restricted to the Indian subcontinent in Pakistan, India (records from the states of Manipur, Uttaranchal, West Bengal, Assam, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar), Nepal, and Bangladesh.
Habitat
- It is mostly known from major river channels and freshwater lakes but has also been observed in swamps.
- It is found in the Indus, Ganges-Brahmaputra and Mahanadi river basins in India.
Conservation status
- IUCN: Near Threatened

Significance of Chitala’s River Ranching

This initiative aims to balance the aquatic ecosystem, increase the income of fish farmers, and provide a protein-rich diet to the public.
Projects worth over 1000 crore are also underway in Uttar Pradesh under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana.

Source : Chitala’s river ranching to help balance the aquatic ecosystem and raise farmers’ income: Minister.