Golden Mahseer State Fish of Arunachal

Itanagar, Sep 21 : The National Bureau of Fish Genetic Research Institute (NBFGRI), Lucknow has declared and recognised Tor Putitora as the State fish of Arunachal Pradesh.

The freshwater fish, with its trade name Golden Mahseer, was approved as the State fish by the State Government on November, 2007.

Locally known as ‘Jungapithia’, the fish is known for its food value worldwide. Seven species of Golden Mahseer are found in India, Fisheries Director Tage Moda said.

Distributed all along from Kashmir to Northeast, the fish is found in all the five major rivers and their tributaries in Arunachal.

It grows upto 70 to 80 kg in weight and 280 cm in length.

Of late, the Golden Mahseer population in the State has dwindled in almost all major rivers and their tributaries due to fishing by locals, endangering its existence.

Moda said his department, in collaboration with the NBFGRI, would take up various conservation programmes to study its population, genetic structures, available strains, gene banking, etc.

A Mahseer breeding unit has been set up in Iduli in Lower Dibang Valley district by the Bhimtal-based Directorate of Cold Water Research Institute for Mahseer seed production for river and lake ranching, Moda said.