The term carp is a generic common name for numerous species of freshwater fish from the family Cyprinidae, a very large clade of ray-finned fish mostly native to Eurasia. While carp are prized quarries and are valued as both food and ornamental fish in many parts of the Old World, they are considered trash fish and invasive pests in many parts of Africa, Australia and most of the United States.
The Eurasian carp or European carp, widely known as the common carp, is a widespread freshwater fish of eutrophic waters in lakes and large rivers in Europe and Asia. The native wild populations are considered vulnerable to extinction by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), but the species has also been domesticated and introduced into environments worldwide, and is often considered a destructive invasive species, being included in the list of the world's 100 worst invasive species. It gives its name to the carp family, Cyprinidae.
Several species of heavy-bodied cyprinid fishes are collectively known in the United States as Asian carp. Cyprinids from the Indian subcontinent—for example, catla and mrigal —are not included in this classification and are known collectively as "Indian carp". Asian carp are considered invasive species in the United States. In June, 2022, the EPA funded initiative to rebrand Asian Carp as Copi was announced. The new name — Copi — is a part of the Federal and multi-state campaign to reintroduce the carps to the public as a healthy and responsible seafood option in order to decrease its numbers in U.S. waterways.
Pothundi Dam is an irrigation dam near Pothundi village in the Palakkad district of Kerala state, India. Constructed in the 19th century, it is considered one of the oldest dams in India. It provides irrigation to an area of 5,470 hectares in the Palakkad district and drinking water supply to the Nemmara, Ayalur, Melarcode Panchayat. An unusual feature of the earth dam is the core wall, which is built with a mixture of jaggery and quick lime.
The bighead carp is a species of cyprinid freshwater fish native to East Asia, and is one of several Asian carps introduced into North America. It is one of the most intensively exploited fishes in fish farming, with an annual worldwide production of over three million tonnes in 2013, principally from China. Unlike the omnivorous common carp, bighead carp are primarily filter-feeding algae eaters, preferentially consuming zooplankton but also phytoplankton and detritus.
Bhimtal is a lake in the town of Bhimtal, near Nainital city in Nainital district of Kumaon, India with a masonry dam built in 1883 creating the storage facility. It is the largest lake of Nainital district, as well as Kumaon, which is known as the "Lake district of India".
The silver carp is a species of freshwater cyprinid fish, a variety of Asian carp native to China and eastern Siberia, from the Amur River drainage in the north to the Xi Jiang River drainage in the south. Although a threatened species in its natural habitat, it has long been cultivated in China as one of the "Four Famous Domestic Fish" (四大家鱼) together with Bighead carp, Black carp and Grass carp. By weight, more silver carp are produced worldwide in aquaculture than any other species of fish except for the grass carp. Silver carp are usually farmed in polyculture with other Asian carp, or sometimes with catla or other fish species.
The Jullien's golden carp is a species of endangered freshwater ray-finned fish in the family Cyprinidae found in Southeast Asian river basins. Its existence is being threatened by various economic activities, such as large-scale agriculture and the building of dams for hydropower.
Fishing in India is a major sector within the economy of India contributing 1.07% of its total GDP. The fishing sector in India supports the livelihood of over 28 million people in the country, especially within the marginalized and vulnerable communities. India is the third largest fish producing country in the world accounting for 7.96% of the global production and second largest producer of fish through aquaculture, after China. The total fish production during the FY 2020-21 is estimated at 14.73 million metric tonnes. According to the National Fisheries Development Board the Fisheries Industry generates an export earnings of Rs 334.41 billion. Centrally sponsored schemes will increase exports by Rs 1 lakh crore in FY25. 65,000 fishermen have been trained under these schemes from 2017 to 2020. Freshwater fishing consists of 55% of total fish production.
Raipur Fish Hatchery and Training Centre is a fish hatchery in Raipur Upazila, Lakshmipur District, Bangladesh. One of the six main fish hatcheries in Bangladesh, it was the largest hatchery in the district during the Noakhali Rural Development Project implemented during 1978-1992 by DANIDA, a Danish development agency. One of the three Principal Scientific Officers (PSO) of the Department of Fisheries of Bangladesh governments is assigned to Raipur Hatchery. It also is one of three training centers directly governed by the Director General of the Department, along with Fisheries Training Institute (Chandpur) and Fisheries Training Academy in (Dhaka).
Indonesia ranks as the fourth most productive country in the world measured in terms of gross yearly aquaculture production with an estimated 14.4 million tons in 2014. It benefits from being an archipelago nation with an extensive coastline over 81,000 km long, situated in a tropical climate. The top aquaculture products exported include shrimp, fish and seaweed.
The mrigal carp, also known as the white carp, is a species of ray-finned fish in the carp family. Native to streams and rivers in India, the only surviving wild population is in the Cauvery River, leading to its IUCN rating as vulnerable. It is widely aquafarmed and introduced populations exist outside its native range. It reaches a maximum length of 1 m (3.3 ft). This species and Cirrhinus mrigala are considered distinct.
Cirrhinus molitorella is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus Cirrhinus found mainly in southern China and Vietnam.
The fishing industry plays a significant part in the national economy of Pakistan. With a coastline of about 1,120 km, Pakistan has enough fishery resources that remain to be developed. Most of the population of the coastal areas of Sindh and Balochistan depends on fisheries for livelihood. It is also a major source of export earning.
Fishing in Israel is a branch of the Israeli economy with historical significance. The three main natural fishing zones are the Mediterranean Sea, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Kinneret. A fourth area that was once historically significant, Lake Hula, no longer exists, as it was drained in the 1950s. In addition, aquaculture the growth of fish in ponds or in cages, is rising in prominence.
Mudnakudu Channabasappa Nandeesha was a development researcher, innovative aquaculture development worker and educator. He is recognized for making critical contributions to the rapid growth of aquaculture by applying research to key bottlenecks to fish production. In India, he conducted successful pioneering field tests of Ovaprim, an ovulating agent, under different agro-climatic conditions to help remove a critical early barrier for freshwater fish breeding. His significant scientific contributions include simplified breeding technology for cyprinids and development of feeds and feeding techniques appropriate to rural aquaculture, and helping improve and spread the practices of small scale fish farming at a time when most attention was on large scale producers. He wrote a regular and widely acclaimed column in Network of Aquaculture Centers in Asia-Pacific (NACA) Aquaculture Asia magazine on farmer innovations in aquaculture. He was described as an "ambassador for aquaculture" and was especially noted for promoting aquaculture for the disadvantaged poor households and women. Along with Michael New, in 2003 he was a founding member of the not-for-profit organisation, Aquaculture without Frontiers. While encouraging poor people to take up aquaculture, he was also a pioneer in promoting equity for women, who had been neglected in the aquaculture boom. Throughout his career, he was in the forefront of initiatives to upgrade the professionalism of fisheries and aquaculture experts, and inspired peers and students in critical new directions.
Dr. Hiralal Chaudhuri was an Indian Bengali fisheries scientist. He is known as the "father of induced breeding" of the carp. The Blue revolution in India was developed on the basis of his work on seed production technology through Hypophysation. He later led the way in intensive mixed farming to increase fish production in ponds.
