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Silver pomfret declared ‘state fish’ of Maha
Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar during a national conference on the Kisan Credit Card on Monday declared silver pomfret the ‘state fish’ of Maharashtra
Pune: Silver pomfret, the preferred seafood of most of Maharashtra’s coastal population, was declared the ‘state fish’ of Maharashtra by state minister of forests, Sudhir Mungantiwar, during a national conference on the Kisan Credit Card on Monday. Mungantiwar made the announcement in the presence of central fisheries minister, Parshottam Rupala. “This decision will help conserve and increase the production of silver pomfret in Maharashtra,” Mungantiwar said.
Recently, fishermen from the state demanded that the government take decisive action to save silver pomfret which is under threat from mechanised fishing. Due to its popularity, fishing of silver pomfret is taking place prematurely, the fishermen alleged. Fishermen’s associations claimed that in the past few years, the quantity of silver pomfret in the coastal waters has declined drastically. Given the dwindling numbers of silver pomfret, fully grown fish of the species is difficult to catch, they said. The reason silver pomfret is so popular in coastal Maharashtrian cuisine is its taste and ease of cooking; when cooked properly, it has a soft, buttery taste. Against this backdrop, the government’s decision is expected to protect the species and increase its catch in the state.
Maharashtra already has mango as the state fruit, giant squirrel as the state animal, Jarul as the state flower, and yellow-footed green pigeon as the state bird. With the latest announcement, the silver-skinned fish native to the coastal areas of South and South East Asia and the Middle East, has been added to the list.
