Hope is finally burning bright for ‘Puntius Denisonii’, an ornamental fish known across the globe as ‘Miss Kerala’, and one which has been facing the danger of extinction, thanks to unabated commercial exports.
A freshwater fish that was once endemic and largely exclusive to the running waters of the Achenkovil and Chaliyar rivers, Miss Kerala, also known as the Red Line Torpedo Barb, was a major export revenue earner for the State in the ornamental fish export sector, with each of these beauties raking in at least Rs.1,500. However, with no apparent steps from authorities concerned to curb the exports, the Barb was slowly swimming towards becoming history.
Now, giving a shot in the arm for those fighting to save the ‘Miss Kerala’, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has put her on its Red List, regarded the most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species since 1963.
The IUCN Red List (www.iucn.org), says the Puntius Denisonii is “vulnerable” because it has a restricted Extent of Occurrence (less than 20,000 km²), and is suffering from a decline in habitat quality and number of mature individuals.
‘Miss Kerala’, according to the list, is found in only four locations - the Cheenkannipuzha (tributary of the Valapattanam River), Achenkovil, Chaliyar, and near Mundakayam. The Red List also states that the fish is likely to be threatened by habitat degradation.
Breeding of the Miss Kerala has seen only limited success. Though a section of the media reported in December 2009 that it was bred in captivity for the first time in Kerala, the actual credit goes to the Chester Zoo and to two amateur Chennai-based individual fish lovers, Rabi Venkatesh and Murali, a success reported in The Hindu on October 16, 2008.
Interestingly, though the State Department of Fisheries has issued an order restricting catching and exporting ‘Miss Kerala’, the fish is yet to be listed as per the National Wildlife Protection Act. Together with ‘Miss Kerala’, 52 other species of freshwater fishes from India have been placed under various threat categories in the IUCN Red List.
Keywords: Puntius Denisonii, Miss Kerala, IUCN Red list, vulnerable, extinction, exports
As my childhood was closely attached to the barbs and catfish who used to swim as freely as I used to in our creeks. Even now, during my short vacations, I visit where once our creeks used to be and it is amazing to see that a few of the so-called Denisonii still survise in the remaining little drops of water my people forgot to landfill and drain!
Nice to hear that people like Ms Mercy are attempting artificial breeding of these endangered species. However, as the habitats been nearly destroyed, I wonder where on earth are you gonna leave them! Thanks to our increasing greediness at least Keralites are worried about Miss Kerala who gives them prospects of foreign earning. But now I tell my son Emad the stories of the variety of freshwater species of my childhood.... especially when he insists to keep an illegal size of species we catch in the Pacific during our fishing frenzy school holidays. Now he knows why Australian authorities are so keen on protecting their fish.
I wish Anna Mercy success in her effort
Denisonii is a very common fish in the fresh waters of Kerala ,mainly in Kannur, Kasargod and Calicut districts.It breeds much more than any other barbs. During breeding season an average of one lakh fish will be there in five km. distance. I strongly suggest the IUCN to study the matter further.
Regarding this report I wish to inform that I am conducting a detailed study on the stock assessment and development of Captive breeding technology for this fish which is sporsored by MPEDA. I have found that this fish is distributed in 11 (eleven) rivers of Kerala. Captive breeding technology for this fish was developed for the first time in Kerala under my leadership during December 2009. We are now stardardising the technology & will be trasfered to the end users immediately. My report on the distribution and assessment of this fish is being prepared for publication in a scientific journal.
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