NGT issues notice to Centre on use of invasive fish for mosquito control

The National Green Tribunal has sought a response from the Centre on two highly-invasive and alien fish species being used as biological agents for controlling mosquitoes.

The tribunal was hearing a plea about two fish species -- Gambusia Affinis (Mosquitofish) and Poecilia Reticulata (Guppy) -- being released in water bodies to control mosquitoes in various states.

The states which stored and released Mosquitofish were Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Punjab and Andhra Pradesh, while Guppy species had been released in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Punjab and Odisha, the plea said.

It said the National Biodiversity Authority declared these two fish species as "invasive and alien" as they adversely impacted the local aquatic ecosystems by causing food scarcity for the indigenous fish species.

It also referred to the ban imposed on Mosquitofish by countries such as Australia and New Zealand.

The plea referred to a report by the Invasive Species Specialist Group, as per which Mosquitofish was among the 100 world's "worst invasive alien species".

"Issue notice to the respondents for filing their response/reply," a bench comprising National Green Tribunal (NGT) chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member A Senthil Vel said in an order dated January 24.

The respondents in the matter include the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the National Biodiversity Authority, and the National Centre for Vector Borne Diseases Control.

The matter has been posted for further proceedings on May 6.