Meghalaya has approved the Chocolate Mahseer as its official State fish, joining several Indian states that have adopted symbolic fish species for biodiversity conservation. The initiative reflects growing concern over declining freshwater fish diversity and the need for stronger conservation measures.
The idea of declaring a State fish was first promoted in 2006 by the National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources to encourage public participation in fish conservation. Several northeastern states, including Manipur, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh, have already declared official State fish, while Assam is yet to do so.
APSC Relevance: Biodiversity conservation, fisheries and environmental awareness.
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