Gangtok: ‘Cooper Mahseer’ locally named as ‘Katley’, has been declared as the State fish of Sikkim by the Government, informed the fisheries department. Scientifically termed as Neolissochilus hexagonolepis, this endangered species of fish have high market value, and is highly preferred by the public in state. The decision is taken, in order to highlight the importance of the fish and to give emphasis to its conservation measures.
Additional Director of the Directorate of Fisheries, C S Rai said that Katley is found in varied altitudes, covering entire state. However, they are predominantly found in Teesta and Rangit rivers, and their tributaries. ‘In the year 1992, ICAR-National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources (ICAR-NBFGR), Lucknow had categorized Katley fish as endangered species. Later on, in the year 2014 the fish was also categorized as endangered by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)’, he explained. Rai further added that, the Sikkim government has also declared the reservoirs of the state to be open for fishing activities.
License shall be issued by the Directorate of Fisheries to the interested individual fishermen or fishermen co-operative societies or SHGs, for fishing in the reservoirs in accordance with the existing provisions under the Sikkim Fisheries Rules, 1990, he said. The major reservoirs in state are Chungthang in North Sikkim, Legshep in West Sikkim and Dikchu and Rorathang in East Sikkim.
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