Fish are aquatic vertebrate animals that have gills but lack limbs with digits, like fingers or toes. Recall that vertebrates are animals with internal backbones. Most fish are streamlined in their general body form. The word fish is the same whether it is singular or plural—you can talk about one fish or ten fish. The word fish is used to refer to an individual fish or to a group of fish of the same species. The word fishes refer to multiple species of fish. Defining a fish is difficult because the term fish includes a very wide range of aquatic animals. In fact, there are about as many species of fishes than there are of all other vertebrates combined. Of the nearly 50,000 species of animals with backbones, approximately 4,500 are mammals, 9,700 are birds, 6,500 are reptiles, 4,000 are amphibians, and 25,000 are fishes. Although these numbers change as new species are discovered, new fishes are found more often than other new vertebrates are found. As scientists make new discoveries, it is expected that the number of species of fishes will outnumber other vertebrates even more. With so many animals identified as fish, it is not surprising that they come in all shapes and sizes and can be found in a range of habitats. Fishes live down deep and up high—from the deepest depths of the oceans to mountain pools high in the Andes. Fishes live in warm and cold water—from desert pools to under Arctic pack ice. Fishes also range in size from very small, like the tiny cyprinid in Indonesia, which grows to a maximum length of 10 mm to the large whale shark Rhincodon typus, which reaches 12 meters, with their skeletons showing great variety in size, composition, and structure. Fishes have a wide range of diets, including plankton, algae, fish, seals, and turtles. Some fishes are parasites, some are blind, some are venomous, and some can even produce electricity. With all of this amazing diversity, it is challenging to make a definition that describes all fishes. Defining a fish can also be difficult because the word fish is often used to describe things that are not fish. For example, starfish are really echinoderms—related to sea urchins and sea cucumbers. Jellyfish are cnidarians—related to sea anemones and corals. Crayfish are really crustaceans—related to lobsters. Even though starfish, jellyfish, and crayfish live in the water, they do not have backbones, and they are not true fish. In Exploring Our Fluid Earth, starfish are called sea stars and jellyfish are called jelly medusa to avoid confusion with true fish. There are many fish species with different nutrition profiles and in general they are divided into two categories i.e., lean and fatty fishes, both are considered healthy to eat but fatty fishes are considered to be more important for health.
Fisheries in India: India is the third largest fish producing country and the second largest aquaculture fish producer in the world. India contributes about 7% to the global fish production. The country is also home to more than 10% of the global fish biodiversity and is one of the 17-mega Biodiversity rich countries. Around 14 million people are engaged in fisheries and its allied activities. Andhra Pradesh is the largest fish producer in the country followed by West Bengal and Gujarat.
Fisheries in Jammu and Kashmir: The Jammu and Kashmir region has a unique topography and diverse agro-climatic conditions which divide it in to different agro-climatic zones. It is bestowed with natural water resources covering a total water spread area of about 0.40 lacs ha. Existing in the shape of torrential cold water streams, lakes, rivers, sars, springs and high altitude lakes. These waters possess great potential for development of varied types of fisheries like cold water fisheries, warm water fisheries, sport fisheries, reservoir fisheries etc. Owing to successful, introduction and subsequent establishment of trout in the valley of Kashmir in 1900 AD, the Department of Fisheries was created in 1903 AD and was known as Department of “Game Preservation”. Till 1978 the activities of the department remained confined to sport fisheries and conservation of natural water resources as no headway could be made in culture aspect due to non-availability of requisite infrastructure, trained manpower and lack of modern fish farming technology. In 1978 the department was re-organized and for the first time district level offices were established. The detailed survey of potential areas was taken and on the basis of this necessary infrastructure was created. The Department developed many Carps and Trout Farms, Hatcheries, Rearing Units, Sale Centres, Laboratories, Anglers Lodges and Aquarium cum Awareness Centres in all regions of J&K region. To provide employment opportunities to the educated unemployed youth of the region the Department introduced the Fish Culture in the Private Sector by various Schemes sponsored by J&K government and Centre Government.
Role of fish: Role in the Ecosystem: Fish make a major contribution to their ecosystem: providing essential nutrients that support the whole ecosystem.Simply put, fish are excellent recyclers of the nutrients that algae and other bottom-level species need to survive that in turn support the remainder of the ecosystem. The importance of this function suggests that overfishing can be highly detrimental to the proper functioning of the whole ecosystem. Ecosystem Services: Fisheries provide both ample ecosystem services for a great number of communities. Specifically, species of fish provide both recreational and cultural services around the world – from sport fishing in ponds to various religious ceremonies. Economic Contribution: Food from fish alone generated $231.6 billion in value for 2016. Globally, the supply chain of fisheries employs an estimated 120 million people, with 116 million of these jobs located in the developing world. Uniqueness: As fish are found in all different habitats around the world, from deep in the ocean to shallow streams, fish have evolved and adapted to their respective habitats in fascinating ways. For instance, some species of fish navigate and hunt through electroreception, a process by which they detect and respond to electrical stimuli, to learn things such as the speed of the current. Threats to fish: Climate Change: Rising water temperatures in oceans and seas threaten to disrupt the migration and distribution of numerous fish species,206 from the Pacific Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea.207 What is more, many species of fish are decreasing in size as a result of climate change. Most concerning, the degradation of coral reefs due to rising sea temperatures has had disastrous effects on the fish species that are supported by the reef; according to one study, the loss of coral reefs in Papua NewGuinea led to a 50% decline in the population of the endemic fish species. Lastly, roughly a third of all carbon emissions from fossil fuels is absorbed by the ocean; this has made oceans about 30% more acidic in the last few decades. As the ocean acidifies, species that support the well-being of fish, such as coral and oysters, face difficulty in forming their shells. Habitat Loss: Since the 1960s, the amount of water held by dams in reservoirs has quadrupled, severely impacting the population levels of freshwater fish. Also, agricultural development, water treatment facilities, and raw sewage pollute fish’s ecosystems. Overfishing: Around 35% of the world’s fish stocks were overfished in 2016.214 The European eel, to use one example, has seen its population decrease by over 90% since the 1970s.215 The Atlantic salmon has seen its population decrease by 90% as well. Ocean Pollution: Pollution in a fish’s aquatic home can come in many forms and from different sources – chemicals from production plants, plastic from waste facilities, fertilizers from agriculture-but the end result is exactly the same: it either severely harms or kills fish. Not only does pollution affect the fish and their ecosystems, but the effects of pollution make their way back to the polluters (us) in the form of contaminated seafood. In one instance, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in April 2010 decimated much of the region’s fisheries and inflicted an estimated $3.5 billion in economic losses. World Fisheries Day, celebrated on November 21, is dedicated to highlighting the critical importance of healthy ocean ecosystems and to ensure sustainable stocks of fisheries in the world. Fishing communities celebrate this day through rallies, workshops, public meetings, cultural dramas, exhibitions, and music shows. Fisher folks in India, where it is widely celebrated, also demonstrate the importance of maintaining the fisheries of the world along with highlighting the problems like overfishing and mechanization. World Fisheries Day also explores finding solutions to the increasingly interconnected problems that the world is facing to follow sustainable models of our ocean ecosystems.
History of World Fisheries Day: World Fisheries Day, which is followed in India on November 21, highlights the fact that fisheries are an important sector in the country. It provides employment to millions of people, as well as contributing to the food security of India. The fishery resources In India are mainly composed of inland and marine. Inland fisheries are mainly composed of major rivers and their tributaries, ponds, reservoirs, lakes, canals, and so forth. World Fisheries Day is celebrated worldwide by the fishing communities to recognize the vast and sometimes underappreciated food source for millions of humans. In 2019, Andhra Pradesh’s government launched a number of welfare schemes for fishermen on the occasion of World Fisheries Day. State Fisheries Minister Mopidevi Venkata Ramana said on the occasion, “The YSRCP government has increased compensation to fishermen, for the mandatory ban period of 45 days, from Rs 4,000 to Rs 10,000.” The state government has also increased the subsidy on diesel for mechanized or non-mechanized boats. In case of death of fisherman compensation of 10 lakh will be given within two months. Indian fisheries and aquaculture is an important sector of food production providing nutritional security, besides livelihood support and gainful employment to more than 14 million people, and contributing to agricultural exports. With diverse resources ranging from deep seas to lakes in the mountains and more than 10 percent of the global biodiversity in terms of fish and shellfish species, the country has shown continuous and sustained increments in fish production since independence in 1947. The total fish production during 2017-18 was estimated to be 12.60 million metric tonnes, of which nearly 65 percent is from the inland sector and about 50 percent of the total production is from culture fisheries, which constitutes about 6.3 percent of the global fish production. More than 50 different types of fish and shellfish products are being exported to 75 countries around the world. Fish and fish products have presently emerged as the largest group in agricultural exports from India. On World Fisheries Day, make sure to support fisheries and new sustainable ways to make our ocean ecosystems cleaner.
Towards blue transformation: The 2022 edition of The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture coincides with the launch of the Decade of Action to deliver the Global Goals, the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. It presents how these and other equally important United Nations events, such as the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture (IYAFA 2022), are being integrated and supported through Blue Transformation, a priority area of FAO’s new Strategic Framework 2022–2031 designed to accelerate achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in food and agriculture. The concept of Blue Transformation emerged from the Thirty-fourth Session of the FAO Committee on Fisheries in February 2021 and in particular the Declaration for Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture, which was negotiated and endorsed by all FAO Members. The Declaration calls for support for “an evolving and positive vision for fisheries and aquaculture in the twenty-first century, where the sector is fully recognized for its contribution to fighting poverty, hunger and malnutrition.” In this context, Part 1 of this edition of The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture reviews the world status of fisheries and aquaculture, while Parts 2 and 3 are devoted to Blue Transformation and its pillars on intensifying and expanding aquaculture, improving fisheries management and innovating fisheries and aquaculture value chains. Blue Transformation emphasizes the need for forward-looking and bold actions to be launched or accelerated in coming years to achieve the objectives of the Declaration and in support of the 2030 Agenda. Part 4 covers current and high impact emerging issues – COVID-19, climate change and gender equality – that require thorough consideration for transformative steps and preparedness to secure sustainable, efficient and equitable fisheries and aquaculture, and finally draws some outlook on future trends based on projections.
It is concluded that Fish is of great importance to humans, not only as a food but also for economic and recreational purposes. Fishes play an important role in the diet of consumer and it is one of the most important source of animal based protein. It provides number of nutrients such as Omega– 3 polyunsaturated fatty acidsn-3 PUFAs), Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) (in particular, in oil-rich fish), and a number of vitamins and minerals. Fish as compared to meat, poultry and eggs, is low in saturated fatty acids (Bates et al., 2012). The studies show that various species of fish have different health benefits e.g., Trout fish can provide many nutrition and health benefits mainly to women around pregnancy, young children and teenagers, and older adults. It has been found that trout contains 5 percent fat of which much comes from Omega-3 fatty acids and Omega-3 fatty acids provide many health benefits, including reducing the risk of death by heart attack, stroke or heart disease. Fish oils were discovered to have a therapeutic effect in reducing atherosclerotic lesions (wang et al.,2004), and omega-3-long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids from fish oils can improve suboptimal cardiovascular risk (Zeng et al 2017). Asthma and other respiratory diseases are also common in today’s world, and fish consumption can help to reduce their occurrences. Eating fish such as salmon, trout, and sardines as part of a healthy diet can help children with asthma. Furthermore, fish aids in the treatment of depression, which is a serious problem. Now, more than ever, we understand that our ocean’s health is in serious danger; from the gravity of climate change to the effects of overpopulation on the planet, we undeniably need to transform our food production systems and we need to do it fast. The global pandemic has made us realise the importance of sourcing our food locally and supporting small- scale producers who are using natural resources sustainably and in balance with nature. One-by-one tuna fishers are no exception: They play a vital role in supplying food to millions of people around the world, whilst preserving the natural resources from which it comes.
(Author Dr Bilal A Bhat is Professor Faculty of Fisheries, S J University Of Agriculture Sciences & Technology Kashmir (SKUAST-K) and Ifra Tabasum is his co-author in this today’s article. The views, opinions, facts, assumptions, presumptions and conclusions expressed in this article are those of the author and co-author only but aren’t necessarily in accord with the views of “Kashmir Horizon”.)
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