The following points highlight the ten aspects to be followed for conservation of ornamental fishes.
(1) Captive farming and breeding of indigenous ornamental fish species should be undertaken which would help in conservation and steady supply of ornamental fishes. Captive breeding is essential for some species whose stock has been found to be declining.
(2) Legal banning should be imposed on the indiscriminate catching of brood and juvenile fishes, is important. This will also ensure the protection of species that may become or are endangered.
(3) Exploitation of the native fishes should be encouraged. Unnecessary banning of some species whose stock are plenty in the wild should be avoided to prevent natural wastage.
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(4) Strict vigilance on unscrupulous fishing methods like poisoning, dynamiting, etc. should be implemented.
(5) As the ornamental fish culture is done indoor, there are vast scopes for women to be involved in this trade.
(6) It is essential to have improved information system for fishes that are caught from the wild and marketed. Maintenance of species record and their numbers exported from the region of their availability would help to prevent the harvest of those species which are already declared endangered.
(7) It is essential to identify and protect the natural breeding grounds of the native ornamental fishes. So habitat protection should be undertaken through controlled infestation of aquatic macrophytes, prevention and control of siltation and aquatic pollution, protection of wetland from conversion, etc.
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(8) The Government and NGOs should come forward to organise the marketing channels, as much improvement is needed and also for fair and equal sharing of benefits obtained from the trade.
(9) Need to create awareness among the native propel, particularly the unemployed youth, to take up ornamental fishery as a means of self-employment.
(10) Transfer of technology from laboratory to the local farmers on the ornamental values of such fishes, their conservation status, methods of captive breeding, farming techniques, system designing, proper handling, disease diagnosis and prophylaxis are important. So for sustainable growth of this industry it is essential to educate all the stakeholders.