File picture of a golden mahseer

Oct. 30: Die-hard anglers swear that nothing matches the thrill of baiting a golden mahseer. But the beautiful piscine species could soon go from being the “perfect catch” to the “one that got away”, perhaps forever.

Known to reach nine feet in length and 54 kg in weight, the population of the golden mahseer (tor putitora) in the rivers of the Northeast has dwindled alarmingly over the years. Participants in a recent national seminar on conservation and rehabilitation of the golden mahseer in the rivers of the region recommended a hatchery in Tezpur exclusively for the endangered piscine species.

The venue of the October 26-27 seminar, organised by the Assam (Bhorelli) Angling and Conservation Association, was the Eco Camp at Potasali near Nameri National Park.

One of the many suggestions from experts who attended the seminar was the creation of functional fish passageways in the Lower Subansiri and Kameng Hydel projects. “Fisheries should actually be included in all future hydroelectric projects,” a senior scientist said.

Dr U.C. Goswami, a zoologist from Gauhati University, Assam’s chief wildlife warden M.C. Malakar, and Sanli Ao, A. Roy and P. Nath, the directors of fisheries of Nagaland, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, were among the guests at the seminar.

D.J. Borgohain from the Brahmaputra Board gave an insight into the possible effect of hydel projects on fish propagation. He and other scientists urged the angling association to continue its efforts to sensitise anglers towards mahseer conservation.

Dr S.N. Ogale of Tata Electric Power Company, Lonavala, gifted a batch of golden mahseer fry to the angling association. The association has already set up a pilot mahseer nursery where 3,000 fry will be nurtured as part of a captive breeding project.

Elusive, finicky, moody and arguably the most beautiful fish in India, the golden mahseer tends to run downstream rather than up. Mahseers inhabit both rivers and lakes, ascending to rapid streams with rocky bottoms for breeding. Like other types of carp, they are omnivorous, eating not only algae, crustaceans, insects, frogs and other fish but also fruit that falls into the water from trees.