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ICAR-CIFRI conducts ecological and fisheries survey of Pulicat Lake

14^th November, 2025
Pulicat Lake, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu
Pulicat Lake, the country's second-largest brackish water lagoon, supports a rich biodiversity and provides livelihood, income and food security besides sustaining associated sectors like seafood handling, processing, and trading.

A research team from ICAR-CIFRI, Barrackpore, carried out an extensive ecological and fisheries assessment in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh parts of the from November 9 to 13, 2025 to document the current state of fish resources, habitat features, and water and sediment qualities under an ongoing research project, "Assessing shifts in fish diversity, environment, and fish stocks in relation to climate change in Pulicat.” The team observed higher water levels, wide variations in salinity across different sites, and low fishing efforts, as compared to those during summer season. Fishing is largely done by fishermen while women play major roles in sorting and sale of the catch. Fishermen use traditional fishing techniques and crafts designed to fit the lake's shallow, low-salinity, and often turbid circumstances.

The survey found 61 finfish species in Pulicat Lake's various zones, demonstrating the lagoon's ichthyofaunal diversity. Mullets (Mugil cephalus, Planiliza subviridis) dominated the catch accounting for 29.51%, followed by carangids like Alepes djedaba and Caranx ignobilis (18.30%), tigerperches (9.84%), and siganids (13.11%). Milkfish (Chanos chanos) which made up 2.43% of the catch. The study, however, recorded increasing catch of exotics such as Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) demanding their continuous monitoring and management. Hopefully, Fisheries Department of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu are actively promoting ethical fishing practices, controlling catch, and protecting the fragile habitat. The field survey was carried out by Sanjib Kumar Manna, Dibakar Bhakta, and Hansraj Kumar under the guidance of Dr. Basanta K. Das, Director, ICAR-CIFRI.