62 fish species identified during Vembanad count

In a heartening development for nature lovers and fans of the
picturesque Vembanad lake, the second Vembanad Fish Count held here on
Wednesday has identified 62 species of fish and 14 species of
crustaceans and molluscs including shrimp. This is in contrast with 50
and 11 each species of both categories that were identified in last
year's count.According to officials of the Ashoka Trust for Research
in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), who masterminded and led the
fish count, the opening of the Thanneermukkom barrage at the right
time and availability of saline water could have helped the increase
in the population of the aquatic species, including sea fish, in the
lake, which has been facing the threat of pollution and encroachment
for long.The highlight of the fish count was, however, the discovery
of a totally unexpected inhabitant near the Punnamada region of the
lake. A Sucker Catfish, an exotic species that is usually seen by the
common man only in aquariums, startled the researchers, 170 of whom
had fanned out across the lake in 11 groups. ATREE officials said
further investigations would be conducted to find how the 32-cm-long
unusual visitor had reached the lake and whether there were more of
the same genre in the region.Another interesting revelation from the
event was the improved water quality in the lake. This could be
because of the recent rain and the increased water flow that has been
enabled with the opening of the Thanneermukkom barrage, ATREE
officials said.

The Hindu, 28th May 2009