During the next phase of outputs about the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic upon mahseer rivers, Adrian Pinder has lead on this important scientific paper following the death of a giant hump-backed mahseer. The Critically Endangered Tor remadevii was caught by locals in Harangi Dam, as reported in our Rivers Under Virus series.
For background, the paper says: "illegal, indiscriminate and destructive methods are being used that have impacts on all aquatic fauna (e.g. dynamite, poisons)."
With specific reference to the 40kg fish that died, the paper says: "There is increasing evidence that their last remaining giant specimens are being removed from South India's River Cauvery by illegal fishers using a variety of capture methods (Deccan Herald,2020), pushing them a step closer to extinction."
Read the full paper here: