The Ecological and Socio-economic Impacts of the Aquarium Sailfin Catfish Invasion: Fate of Fisherfolk at Major Inland Water Bodies, Tamil Nadu, South India

Mohan Raj Rajasekaran; Indhar Saidanyan Ravichandran; Parthiban Balasingam; Chandrasekaran Sivagnanam

doi:10.37773/ees.v8i2.1191

Authors

Mohan Raj Rajasekaran Madurai Kamaraj University
Indhar Saidanyan Ravichandran Madurai Kamaraj University
Parthiban Balasingam Madurai Kamaraj University
Chandrasekaran Sivagnanam Madurai Kamaraj University https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4065-0326

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37773/ees.v8i2.1191

Keywords:

Pterygoplichthys spp., Biological Invasion, Ecological and Socio-economic Impacts, Cauvery River Basin, Vaigai River Basin, Fishing Communities

Abstract

Keeping pets has been part of human life since the earliest civilizations. Today, exotic animals are sold online and shipped globally to enthusiasts. However, pet sellers and keepers sometimes release exotic pets into nearby natural ecosystems, leading to biological invasion. This paper examines the invasion by sailfin catfish (Pterygoplichthys spp.) of Cauvery and Vaigai river basins, and its ecological and socio-economic impacts. We assessed the ecological impacts by comparing the total abundance and biomass of the invasive fish species (IFS), Pterygoplichthys spp., with those of comparator fish species (CFS) and various physicochemical parameters. We used semi-structured interviews and case studies of IFS mechanical removal programmes to assess the socio-economic impacts. The abundance and biomass of the IFS were significantly higher than those of the CFS in most lentic and lotic ecosystems. Interviews revealed significant sociological impacts on fisherfolk, including a push from fishing (a familial profession) to non-fishing vocations. The input–cost–outcome assessment of mechanical removal programmes revealed that the expenditure incurred could not prevent further invasion of the IFS. This study advocates for increasing awareness among stakeholders to devise effective control measures and implement policy-level changes to curb the sailfin catfish invasion in India’s inland water bodies.

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Author Biographies

Mohan Raj Rajasekaran, Madurai Kamaraj University

Department of Plant Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai - 625021, India (MKU)

Indhar Saidanyan Ravichandran, Madurai Kamaraj University

Department of Plant Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai - 625021, India (MKU)

Parthiban Balasingam, Madurai Kamaraj University

Department of Plant Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai - 625021, India (MKU)

Chandrasekaran Sivagnanam, Madurai Kamaraj University

Department of Plant Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai - 625021, India (MKU)

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