Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Dec 19: The fishes being bred through cage fishing method at Tallur in Panchagangavali river area near Kundapur are dying on a large scale under mysterious circumstances. Now, the scientists of fisheries college Mangaluru have found out that the deadly red sea bream iridoviral disease is causing the massive death.

A report about this has been submitted to the assistant director in the fisheries department at Kundapur. The scientists have advised the state government to initiate immediate steps to stop the virus from spreading, duly warning that otherwise fishes may die in large quantities even in future.

Representational image

Cage fishing has been undertaken in this area in 115 cages. As the fishes are dying the pisciculturists are facing huge losses. At the request of the department, assistant professor for fisheries microbiology of the fisheries college, Dr S K Girish, had visited the spot, collected the samples of the dead fish and subjected them to laboratory testing. Then the real cause of the deaths was found.

This virus spreads most during the winter. There are chances that the virus came along with the fingerlings which were brought here initially for cage fishing. When the water becomes cool and depth of water in the cages decreases and pressure increases, oxygen level goes down. These viruses become active under these circumstances. They can cause deaths of fishes.

This virus has no medicine and it can be stopped by breeding the fishes in a systematic way. The dead fish should be buried elsewhere without throwing them into the water. Fingerlings should be grown in cages based on their capacities, the scientists said.

Dr S K Girish said that a similar virus had been found during the last two years at this spot. He said that taking care against the spreading of the virus is the only way out. Dean of Mangaluru fisheries college, Dr Senthil Vel, suggested that before permitting cage fishing henceforth, fisheries college can be contacted so that the experts can visit the spot and undertake tests before giving the opinion whether the fishes can be raised there.