Aquaculture for all

Marine Invasion Threatens Eco-friendly Ganga Fish

INDIA - A recent study by the scientists of the Parasitology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Allahabad Central University, and the National Institute of Oceanography, Goa, has found that an invasion by some marine species of fishes is driving out `eco-friendly fishes' from the Ganga thereby polluting the river and putting human lives at risk.

Scientists agree to the `Rule of Ten' as regards permissibility of growing invaders into a newer environment, says the DecanHerald. This would mean that in one attempt of invasion by foreign species, only about 10 per cent of invader species would survive against resistance by the indigenous ones and the rest would perish.

But it is also true that such invasions, which would have started decades ago, have now started showing their detrimental effect on ecosystems after several waves of invasions have occurred, while most of such attempts have gone unnoticed.

“Several eco-friendly fishes such as Clarias Batrachus (magur) and Heteropneustes (singhi) that help in removing filth from the waters of the Ganga are facing extinction owing to this invasion,” Prof Sandeep K. Malhotra, the Principal Scientist in the team of researchers with Dr. Zakir Ansari of NIO, told the DeccanHerald.

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