Submit Manuscript | http://medcraveonline.com Introduction India is the second largest producer of fsh next to China and Indonesia ranks third in aquaculture production. 1 In India, this sector constitutes about 5% of the global fsh production and 3% of the global fsh trade. In the world, capture fsheries and aquaculture supplied about 158 million tons of fsh in 2012, of which about 136.2 million tons was utilized as food. World per capita food fsh supply increased from an average of 9.9 kg (live weight equivalent) in the 1960s to 18.7 kg in 2011 and preliminary estimates for 2012 point to a further increase in fsh consumption to 19.2 kg. The per capita availability of fsh in India has increased from 3 kg to 9. 1 In India, the major carps, Catla (Catla catla), Rohu (Labeo rohita) and Mrigal (Cirrhinus mrigala) are the mainstay of freshwater aquaculture. The major carps are the most preferred farm fshes because of their fast growth and higher acceptability to consumers. 2 Indian major carps are the most cultivable fsh species in India contributing about 87% of the total freshwater aquaculture production of the country. 3 India is one of the major fsh producing countries in the world employing over seven million person in fshing and allied industries and contributing 60 crores annual1y to national income. 4 India is one of the major fsh producing countries in the world employing over seven million person in fshing and allied industries and contributing 60 crores annu~l1y to national income. 4 Besides providing direct employment, this sector also supports canneries and processing establishments, gears and equipment manufacturers, boat yards, refrigeration and ice making plants and transport services in addition to those working in State Fisheries Department, Fisheries Corporation and other Government based fsheries institutions. The shortage of human dietary protein can be provided by fsh protein, particularly in developing countries, where protein shortage is serious. However, this goal may be diffcult due to the high cost of good quality fsh meals which costs about 40-60% of total operating costs in intensive aquaculture enterprises. 5 Aquaculture can play an important role in meeting the future nutrition requirements of human population in terms of quality protein supply. Fish protein is easily digestible and has proved growth promoting value for human consumption. The fsh protein comprises all the ten essential amino acids in desirable strength for body metabolism. Besides protein, fsh fesh also offers minerals, vitamins and fat. Other qualities of fsh fesh are: it is easier in cooking, palatable in taste, favoured and quicker indigestion. Besides this, aquaculture can also play an important role in generating employment opportunities for the rural masses and largely the prevailing fsh culture practices in our country is extensive and semi intensive type culture systems. The demand for fsh is ever increasing because of its nutritive value being a rich source of protein. The food insecurity problem in India has been alarming due to the rapid growth of population and the reduction of per capita land. The current scientifc, economic, environmental and social trends are forcing farmer and policy makers to look for viable alternatives to fulfll the nutritional requirement for the growing population. Fish with an average of 18- 21 % protein can be best alternative in this context. A fsheries sector have been playing an important role in the national economy through improved food supply, employment and income, and contributes 1.5% to total GDP and 4.3% to the GDP from agriculture. 6 Malnutrition is a worldwide problem for which the development of underexploited and unexploited fsheries resources offer a promising solution. Fish farming practices also hold promises for many small farmers and potential signifcant beneft for strengthening the rural economy. Another factor that adds to food security is the growth of fsheries sector. It is assumed that growth of fsheries sector during 2003-04 is about 6-7% each year while that of agriculture sector between 2-3%. 3 The natural genetic resources of Indian major carps come from the network of the Ganga river system, the Sindh and the Brahmaputra river systems in the north and the east-coast and west coast river systems fowing through in the south and central India respectively. The major carps of India fall under three genera, Catla, Labeo and Cirrhinus. Due to their fast growing nature and taste, Indian major carps enjoy a prime position in the Indian aquaculture scenario. These highly prized fshes though originally inhabitants of the Ganga river network in North India and the rivers of Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Burma, are also transplanted into other rivers in central as well as peninsular India. Besides this, these carps have been imported by many other countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, Laos. 7 All Indian major carps naturally breed in rivers. They also breed in artifcially created water bodies which are popularly known as “bundhs”. However, Indian Int J Avian & Wildlife Biol. 2018;3(6):409‒411. 409 ©2018 Bais. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and build upon your work non-commercially. Fish scenario in India with emphasis on Indian major carps Volume 3 Issue 6 - 2018 Basant Bais Rajasthan University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, India Correspondence: Basant Bais, Department of Livestock Products Technology, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Rajasthan University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Bikaner, Rajasthan, 334001, India, Email Received: June 25, 2018 | Published: November 16, 2018 Abstract India has a tremendous potential for the growth of fish based industries and presently one of the focus sector is fish production, marketing and consumption. The demand for fish is ever increasing because of its nutritive value being a rich source of protein. In India, the major carps, Catla (Catla catla), Rohu (Labeo rohita) and Mrigal (Cirrhinus mrigala) are the mainstay of freshwater aquaculture. The major carps are the most preferred farm fishes because of their fast growth and higher acceptability to consumers. Apart from this some of the Exotic major carps which are well adopted to Indian water are Cyprinus carpio (Common carp), Hypopthalmichthys molitrix (Silver Carp), Ctenopharyngodon idella (Grass Carp). Keywords: Fish, Major carps, Catla, Rohu, Mrigal International Journal of Avian & Wildlife Biology Mini Review Open Access