Recurring fish mortalities at Versova stress exigency for new strategies of conservation

Abstract

Versova is an important fishing village of Bombay district, Maharashtra, India and Versova Creek is situated near the sources of organic and industrial pollution which discharge their waste indiscriminately into it. However, recently increasing incidents of fish mortality along with depletion of fish catch have affected the fishermen to a large extent. Out of 12 different types of nets with a total number of more than one thousand nets which were operated here, only seven types with about three hundred nets are remaining in operation. During October 1988 mortality of many commercially important species like Mugil, Cynoglossus, catfishes and sciaenids was noticed. Subsequent mortalities were observed during 1991, 1993 and 1995 with more number of species. Monitoring of creek water which was mostly a belnd of black, brown and gray colour with foul smells revealed that many times dissolved oxygen is absent here when in adjoining areas it is up to 4 ml/l, pH of the creek was always in lower range and even salinity value dropped up to 1.29 x 10-3 due to added influx of fresh water by way of domestic and industrial discharge and making it unsuitable for marine organisms.