PILERNE: The Pilerne-Marra Panchayat in collaboration with the Goa State Biodiversity Board (GSBB) and Goa Fisheries Department on Monday released around 2,000 local freshwater fish into Saulem Lake and Sadguru pond at Pilerne.
The initiative will help the locals, aims at maintaining the ecological balance and preserving the water bodies in the respective areas. These fish are released in these water bodies to improve the water quality.
GSBB member secretary Pradip Sarmokadam said they released these fish for breeding purpose. “We released three species of fish to ensure that the ecosystem functions properly. We have released the maximum amount of fish in the Saulem Lake but it will be very difficult to trace them. At the same time around 500 fish have been released in a small pond. The survival rate in some cases maybe even 60%, 40 % or even 10%,” Pradip informed.
The GSBB has initiated this step on a trial basis.
Bio Diversity Board officials now want to take up similar initiative in two villages in North and South Goa respectively. By May, the officials will come to know whether this initiative works or not.
