Initiative launched in Periyar Tiger Reserve to manage invasive African catfish

African catfish | Photo credit: Special arrangement

A conservation initiative in the Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) aims to demonstrate how invasive species management can protect biodiversity while improving the livelihoods of local populations.

The initiative, launched Friday and involving several agencies, focuses on managing the invasive African catfish (Clarias gariepinus). This highly predatory species is considered a major ecological threat to the Periyar freshwater ecosystem. But instead of just treating invasive fish as waste after they are removed, the project focuses on a circular model of conservation. Harvested African catfish are transformed into high-value products including pet chews, fish crackers, fish pickles and other value-added products.

The collaborative program is led by the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS) in collaboration with the Periyar Tiger Conservation Foundation (PTCF), the Department of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries, University of Kerala and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).

The strategy achieves three goals at once, KUFOS said in a statement. It reduces the population of an invasive predator, creates sustainable income opportunities for tribal communities, and demonstrates a financially viable conservation model that can be replicated elsewhere.

Inaugurating the program on Friday, KUFOS Vice-Chancellor A. Biju Kumar said that managing invasive alien species is not just a local conservation exercise but a national and global responsibility. The Periyar initiative shows how biodiversity conservation can be successfully integrated with sustainable livelihood generation by empowering indigenous communities. Smrithy Raj, a University of Kerala researcher leading the initiative, described it as a practical, scalable and globally relevant model for protected areas and wildlife sanctuaries facing invasive species challenges.

The PTR is recognized as one of Asia’s most important centers of freshwater biodiversity. Its river systems are home to nine endemic species of freshwater fish found nowhere else on Earth, Rajeev Raghavan of KUFOS and IUCN South Asia Chair (Freshwater Fish), said in a statement.

Under the programme, faculty members from the Department of Fish Processing Technology, KUFOS conducted intensive hands-on training for tribal community members on scientific techniques of processing, product preparation, packaging and quality assurance through a special ICAR plan. Products will be standardized and marketed through local Ecological Development Committees (EDCs).

Published – 11 Jul 2026 20:41 IST