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Re-assessing Pulicat Lake fishery by ICAR-CIFRI after two decades

9^th August, 2024
Pulicat Lake, situated on Coromandel Coast on the border between Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, is the country's second-largest brackish water lagoon, after Chilika. The lake is not only an important natural resource, but also serves as a hub of fishery and biodiversity. The Lake's brackish water ecosystem, combining salt and freshwater, provides a unique habitat for both marine and estuarine fishes including mullets, prawns, crabs, catfishes, etc. The Lake fishery supports livelihood of thousands of fishermen and ancillary sectors like seafood processing and marketing. Fish from Pulicat Lake are sold at local markets and shipped to urban areas, boosting the rural economy.

To review the status of the Pulicat Lake fishery, a scientific team from ICAR-CIFRI, Barrackpore, conducted sampling at various locations of the lake across Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh parts during 2-8 August, 2024.

The team observed that fishermen are employing boats, nets, and traditional traps appropriate for the lagoon's shallow and often murky waters. However, extensive fishing practices have raised worries about the sustainability of fish populations in the Lake: overfishing can deplete species and undermine the lagoon's biological equilibrium. Further, Pulicat Lake's ecosystem and biodiversity are under threat due to encroachment, siltation, mangrove degradation, and pollution from industrial effluents, agricultural runoff, and domestic garbage.

According to district fishery officials, measures are being implemented to promote sustainable fishing practices, manage fishing activities, and conserve the vital ecosystem. Environmental organizations and government agencies are working together to monitor pollution levels and undertake conservation programs aimed at restoring the Lake's ecosystem health. The Lake's administration and conservation rely heavily on local communities. Thus, empowering fisherman through education, cooperative societies, and participatory management methods would help in conservation and sustainable use of the resource. Balancing community’s livelihood needs with the resource conservation is critical to ensuring long-term sustainability of this valuable resource.
Dr. Sanjoy K. Das, Principal scientist, Dr. Dibakar Bhakta, Scientis and Mr. Rikesh Sarkar, Technical officer performed the survey, while Dr. Basanta K. Das, Director of ICAR-CIFRI, provided oversight.