Mortality of fish in Kashmir's Dal lake worry experts; Rare alligator gar fish suspected

Hundreds of dead fish floating on the waters of the Dal Lake in J&K's Srinagar on Friday caused concern among the public and the experts over the ecological health of this water body.

Locals were surprised to find dead fish in hundreds floating over the waters of Dal Lake.

Experts suggest that this could have many reasons, including the lack of oxygen caused in the lake water due to pollution.

"Discharge of effluents, growth of weeds and thermal stratification at different parts of the lake are the main reasons behind the large-scale mortality among the fish in the lake", said an expert here.

It must be mentioned that recently an unknown fish species called the alligator gar fish was found in Dal Lake.

Unknown in the Valley, the alligator gar fish is an aggressive survivor capable of devouring fish, weeds and other forms of life inside the lake waters.

How did the alligator gar fish, which is native to North America and also found in some parts of Bhopal and Kerala, find its way into the Dal Lake?

Farming of this fish species is banned in India.

Opinions of experts vary with most of them saying that this fish species could have been brought into the Valley by some fish lover in a glass aquarium.

"Once the fish grew to large size, the owner of the glass aquarium could have dropped it into the Lake. This seems to be a very likely reason," said another ichthyologist (biologist studying fishes).

Whatever the actual reason for the mass mortality of fish in Dal Lake, unless the authorities take this as Nature's warning, life inside the water body could face extinction.

(With inputs from IANS)