Banned African catfish consignment seized at Ahmedabad airport

Ahmedabad: Consignment containing 1 lakh predatory African Mangur of catfish has been seized at Ahmedabad airport on Sunday. The consignment had arrived here fro Kolkata. Cat fishes are handed over to Fisheries department. The government has imposed a ban on farming of African catfish, an invasive species that pose a threat to native aquatic species.

The order banning catfish farming was based on a recommendation by the Fisheries Director. A study conducted by the government had found that the practice was posing a threat to several local varieties of fish and polluting waterbodies.
Reservoirs hit

Known locally as African Mushi, the African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) is a carnivorous species introduced in India without official sanction.

Native to Africa and the Middle East where it inhabits freshwater lakes, rivers, swamps, and urban sewage systems, the African catfish was introduced all over the world in the early 1980s for aquaculture. The voracious predator feeds on living and dead animal matter, including fish and invertebrates, and is known to attack small birds. Its ability to survive in shallow mud for long periods of time, high tolerance for poorly oxygenated water, and fast breeding give it an edge over other native species.