Dr Syed Talia Mushtaq
Prof. Tasaduq Hussain Shah
If one searches online for “State fish of Jammu and Kashmir,” the result confidently reads: Golden Mahseer (Tor putitora) – a majestic, famed, long-distance migratory game fish also revered as the “Tiger of Indian Rivers.” Shimmering in gold and bronze, it’s celebrated in Himalayan folklore, angling tales, and even postage stamps. However, there exists a strange irony hidden beneath that golden name. The golden mahseer, though once common in the lower stretches of the Jhelum and Chenab rivers, no longer exists in the freshwater ecosystems of the Kashmir Valley. Its migration route was effectively blocked off after the construction of the Mangla Dam in the 1960s, preventing connectivity between the warm foothill rivers of Pakistan-occupied Jhelum basin and the cold, high-altitude tributaries of Kashmir. There are currently no confirmed reports of Tor putitora from the rivers or lakes of Kashmir. Yet, it continues to be designated (at least on the internet) as our state fish.
Golden Mahseer (Tor putitora).
Photo by S. Kalyan, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons).
Unlike other Indian states that have officially notified their state species through gazette or policy acts; for instance, Arunachal Pradesh (Golden Mahseer), Kerala (Pearl Spot), Lakshadweep (Butterfly fish), Andhra Pradesh (Striped murrel) or Sikkim (Copper Mahseer), Jammu and Kashmir has never issued any formal government notification designating a state fish. The term “golden mahseer” seems to be an internet-generated tidbit that has been used so frequently that it now seems official. Actually, none of our wildlife action plans, fisheries manuals, or biodiversity policy documents mention it. This brings up a difficult but important question: Can a fish that no longer lives in our waters continue to represent our aquatic identity?
In contrast to the glacially fed systems of the Kashmir Valley, the golden mahseer flourishes in warm, torrential, mid-altitude rivers (500–1,200 m asl) in the Himalayan foothills. Our valley waters, which frequently have temperatures mostly below 15°C, are not environmentally suited for mahseer development or reproduction. On the other hand, species like snow trout (Schizothorax spp.), which are cold-water cyprinids suited to mountain streams and high-altitude lakes, represent Kashmir’s native aquatic identity. These fishes support the valley’s traditional and sustenance fisheries, especially in the Jhelum and Wular systems. If any fish truly symbolizes Kashmir’s natural heritage, it is the snow trout, not the mahseer. Symbols matter – especially in a time when biodiversity is vanishing faster than we can name it. If we wish to celebrate a “state fish,” it should be one that truly represents our ecology, our people, and our waters. By continuing to claim the golden mahseer, we aren’t honoring nature -we’re clinging to an illusion. The government of Jammu and Kashmir should formally review and notify an official state fish through the Faculty of Fisheries, SKUAST-K and Department of Fisheries, Jammu and Kashmir, and base the selection on ecological and cultural relevance. It should also integrate the chosen species into school curricula, eco-awareness programs, and conservation campaigns, to build a sense of aquatic responsibility among citizens.
The golden mahseer will always remain one of the Himalaya’s most iconic fishes – powerful, beautiful, and worthy of conservation in its native southern rivers. But it does not belong to the glacial valleys of Kashmir anymore.We are only more removed from biological reality when we cling to a species that is no longer able to swim in our waters. Being truthful about our freshwater history is the first step towards protecting it. It’s time to give our waterways and people a symbol that accurately reflects them by substituting scientific accuracy for symbolic nostalgia.
Dr Syed Talia Mushtaq, Assistant Professor, Division of FRM, Faculty of Fisheries, SKUAST-K
Prof. Tasaduq Hussain Shah, Head, Division of FRM, Faculty of Fisheries, SKUAST-K
