Research Article

Assessment of fish stock supplementation for sustainable production from reservoirs of Tamil Nadu state, India

¹ Regional Centre, ICAR- Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Bangalore 560089, India
² ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Barrackpore 700120, India
³ Department of Fisheries, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600035, India

^* Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Received: 30 June 2025
Accepted: 21 December 2025

Abstract

Indian reservoirs offer tremendous scope but fish production remains below potential. The present study evaluates the effectiveness of fish seed stocking on the yield of 62 reservoirs of Tamil Nadu, India during 2011–2020. The results indicate that all large (>50 km²), 64.1% of the medium (10−50 km²) and 50.7% of small (<10 km²) reservoirs are under-stocked with less than <50% of the recommended stocking density. The stocking efficiency was found to be lowest in large (0.05), medium (0.11) and highest in small reservoir (0.26). The regression analysis showed significant positive associations between stocking density and yield in small (R²=0.05), medium (R²=0.31) and negative in large (R²=0.008) reservoirs. The mean annual yield during the studied period was highest in small (137 kg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹), followed by medium (86.64 kg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹) and, large (46.1 kg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹) reservoirs. The study indicated that insufficient availability of fingerlings and inconsistency in the seed quality as the major stumbling blocks in achieving the estimated production potential. It is suggested to improve the hatchery facility, adoption of enclosure culture for rearing fish fingerlings, creating awareness among the stakeholders to optimize the fish production from these resources and also for ensuring improved livelihood of the fishers dependent on this sector. This is the first long-term, state level evaluation of reservoir stocking in Tamil Nadu, complementing past national studies. These findings highlight the importance of optimal stocking density, advanced fingerling use, and cooperative-based management for sustaining fish production and fisher livelihoods in Tamil Nadu.