Was alligator gar deliberately released in Dal to disturb fish ecosystem?

Srinagar: Scientists apprehend that some people might have deliberately released bio-invasive alligator gar into Dal Lake to disturb the fish ecosystem.

 On Thursday, officials of Lake Conservation and Management Authority (LCMA) caught a non-local alligator gar, a predator fish, during a routine de-weeding exercise.

 The recovery of fish came as a surprise to the people as well as the experts since it was for the first time that this specie has been discovered in Kashmir

 Experts think that the recovery of this specie could be a direct result of unethical fishkeeping.

They said that this species of fish is being reared in aquariums and some hobbyists might have released their pet fish in local water body.

 “This is an aquarium fish in many parts of the world. Some unethical fish keepers might have released it in Dal Lake and later this fish might have grown in size over some time. This type of fish is not native and is an accidental entry into the Dal Lake, ” Dr Irfan Ahmad, Head Division of Genetics & Biotechnology Faculty of Fisheries SKUAST-K said.

 Given its omnivorous feature, Dr. Irfan said its impact needs to be studied. “This fish is invasive and omnivorous. It could have survived by eating small fish within the lake. With the recovery of just one single fish, we can’t say it will have any impact on ecology. Still, its impact needs to be studied,” he said.

 Experts said that the alligator gar is a native of North America and grows up to the size of two meters. They said it is harmless to humans but feeds on other fish species.

 “Alligator gar can live for many decades. They grow very fast when young, but growth slows with age. In general, for every additional foot, the fish grows, its age doubles. A 3-foot gar is typically about 2.5 years old; a 4-foot gar about 5, and a 7-foot trophy catch might be 40 years old,” Dr. Irfan said.

 Meanwhile, LCMA has started analyzing the impact of the fish in Dal Lake.

 “We are coordinating with the Department of Fisheries and SKUAST-K  and trying to study the impact of alligator gar on the rest of the species. Once the report is complete it will be shared with the media,” Masood Ahmad, an official from Research and Monitoring Section LCMA said

 In recent times this species of fish has been found in various waterbodies of Bhopal, Kerala, and Maharashtra.

 Ichthyologists raised alarm over the introduction of this fish species in India and called that India should revise the list of fish that it is importing if it wants to protect its local varieties from alien, invasive species.