Mixed spawning and indiscriminate hybridization in the context of Indian hatchery operation

A review of the hatchery operation covering three states of India revealed a very gloomy picture in regards to the sustenance of the prized species of India i.e., Catla, Rohu, Mrigal. An in-depth study of the hatchery indicates that the persons involved in hatchery operation are not only illiterate but are devoid of any scientific training for practices of such a novel technology in captivity. Due to improper dissemination, profit making approaches and greediness on the part of fish breeders and hatchery owner, the technology which was initially implemented for the production of quality seed productivity now became a curse in disguise. Mixed spawning indiscriminate hybridization and several other faulty practices, throughout the years, has resulted in several genetic consequences among the hatchery raised fishes. The consequences includes in breeding, genetic drift and retrogressive hybridization which resulted in the loss of certain economically important traits and resulted in the development of a variant type of fishes in the hatchery sector. If this trend continuous, certainly a different variety of carps will come up due to genetic drift and bottle necking and it will be difficult to rebound to the original species.