Impact case study database

BU’s research clarifying the taxonomy of the orange-finned mahseer as Tor remadevii was vital in getting it classified as ‘Critically Endangered’. As the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) confirmed, it represented “a critical step in achieving formal global recognition of the species and its subsequent consideration for assessment on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species” [E1].

The Red List is the most authoritative, comprehensive inventory of the status of biological diversity, but, without a valid scientific name, species cannot be assessed and included. Pinder and Britton’s work enabled the orange-finned mahseer to finally be assessed, with its ‘Critically Endangered’ assessment indicating a higher risk of extinction than the conservation icons giant panda and Bengal tiger, generating a high level of media attention [E2].

The IUCN also acknowledged Pinder and Britton’s “novel use of angler catch records”, which provided the “vital evidence” needed to support the Red-Listing. “Without the strategic ‘step-wise’ research conducted by [BU], there is a very real possibility that this megafauna could have gone extinct without ever formally being recognised as a species.” [E1]

BU’s research elevated the orange-finned mahseer from scientific obscurity and potential extinction to international conservation priority. The Declaration of the First International Mahseer Conference 2018 recommended responsible stocking policies across the mahseer genus, found throughout India and southeast Asia. This included the recommended suspension of all hatchery culture and stocking programmes until agreement on the requirements for a National Fish Stocking Policy were met, and regulations to eliminate the introduction of alien species [E3].

The conservation of the orange-finned mahseer was positioned at the forefront of national policymaking with the inclusion of specific guidance in India’s Wildlife Action Plan. This instigated a long-term programme of the “removal of the blue-finned mahseer in the Cauvery” and the initiation of “special breeding programmes for threatened fish species such as orange-finned and golden mahseer” [E4].

Tata Power’s Mahseer Conservation Programme started in 1975. However, as environmental journalist Bahar Dutt noted, Pinder and Raghavan’s “seminal” paper [R2] “proved to be a game changer”, by highlighting Tata’s unintentionally harmful stocking policies [E5].

Tata thus modified its programme and focused efforts on saving the orange-finned mahseer from extinction, launching a conservation programme in 2018 via an awareness drive with local schoolchildren. “[BU’s research] helped deepen our understanding of the ecology of this fish… and… further strengthen our efforts, especially in the conservation aspect of our programme.” [E6]

The Forest Department of Madhya Pradesh State (a government body responsible for protecting forest resources, including aquatic environments) asked BU to share with them their “valuable insights” into mahseer conservation [E7]. The department acknowledged that the papers of Pinder, Britton et al. [R1, R2] alerted them to “the danger of stocking the readily available blue-finned mahseer in Madhya Pradesh and [its potential] to impact on the population stability of our indigenous mahseer Tor tor (the state fish of MP) and disrupt ecological equilibrium.” They were able to “revisit and redefine” their priorities towards effective conservation “of our state fish and associated aquatic resources in [the] forested zone of Narmada and its tributaries.” [E7]

Proving reductions in mahseer extinction risk will take many decades, due to its long lifespan and monitoring difficulties (compounded by the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020). Working with Tata, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and the World Wide Fund for Nature India (WWF), BU helped develop a robust monitoring programme (initially due for implementation in late 2020, postponed due to Covid-19) that measures population responses and biological traits [E8].

WWF hope the Project Mahseer framework “will play a key role in generating the crucial data on current population status, genetic structuring and ecology of Tor spp.” These data will then be used to evaluate the success of conservation projects based on new breeding and restocking programmes in India and beyond, aimed at reducing extinction risk and providing transferable lessons in fish conservation to other Asian countries [E8].

Together with Tata Power and the Mahseer Trust, BU launched outreach and education awareness programmes to communicate the cultural, religious, recreational and economic importance of the fish. Frank Anthony Public School in Bangalore described the team’s visit in February 2018 as a “wonderful opportunity” for the students to learn about the conservation work being undertaken [E9].

They commented on the “unique and inspirational” educational sessions, which “captured the imagination” of many of the students, and which instilled “a lasting knowledge and fascination” in the River Cauvery, its wildlife and the effects of human interactions. It also helped the school develop its new curriculum area of Environmental Education and “enthused pupils to take action and help educate others in the importance of healthy rivers and their sustainable management” [E9].

India’s national angling body, the All India Game Fishing Association (AIGFA) adopted the orange-finned mahseer as its flagship species during events for World Fish Migration Day, using it to teach 2,160+ children in 14 Indian states about the importance of water and wildlife. “These interactions will no doubt have a lasting impact on the lives of these children and their families’ appreciation of the natural world around them”, commented AIGFA [E10].

AIGFA also used BU’s research to develop best practice guidance to educate anglers about “the conservation benefits of catch-and-release angling and the importance of safe angling practices that… enhance the long-term survival prospects of Indian mahseer” [E10].