Fisheries

Fisheries in Sikkim is another secondary source of income for the people of Sikkim. In other words, it is another element of the Sikkim economy that generates revenue for the state treasury. Sikkim is surrounded by beautiful fresh water lakes and rivers which are full of various species of the marine animal. The clean environment of the region makes the marine life feasible.

The demand for the marine animal has gone so high, that a department was set up by the end of the Fifth Five Year Plan. It is known as the Fisheries Department of Sikkim. The department aims at preventing the current strength of the fisheries and using the available water resources in such an effective way so that the marine life does not get hampered and more fish can be produced so as to meet the demand for protein rich food.

The main source of fisheries at Sikkim are the two rivers that flow across the state namely Teesta and Rangeet. These two rivers arise from the glaciers located in the North and West Sikkim. The fisheries are located near the banks of these two rivers. The water bodies support a wide range of species of this fauna including Mahaseer, Snow Trout, Cat fishes and Cyprinids being the most important ones.

Different fisheries in Sikkim have been established on the basis of the fish collected. For example, there are Culture Fishery, Mahaseer Fishery, Trout Fishery, etc. The fisheries department of Sikkim has undertaken a research project on evaluating the fishes in the water bodies of Sikkim including the two main rivers and their tributaries.