Context: Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, is set to launch the River Ranching Programme in Uttar Pradesh under the Namami Gange Programme.
About River Ranching

• River Ranching is a form of aquaculture in which a population of a fish species (such as salmon) is held in captivity for the first stage of their lives.
• They are then released, and later harvested as adults when they return from the sea to their freshwater birthplace to spawn.

The key objectives of the program are

• To sustain and conserve the biodiversity in the river.
• Facilitate regular stocking of fingerlings of cultivable carps to enhance productivity
• Increase fish production
• Enhance income and livelihood opportunities to communities’ dependent on these resources

Why need such a program?

• River ranching helps in achieving sustainable fisheries, reducing habitat degradation, conserving biodiversity, maximising social-economic benefits and would also remove factors causing pollution.
• In this activity, different species of fish are released in the river, which destroy factors that increase the level of nitrogen.
• These fishes will also aid in maintaining the cleanliness of the river as they feed on organic remnants.

Where is the scheme being launched?

• In Uttar Pradesh, about 15 lakh fish fingerlings of native carp species shall be simultaneously released into the river in 12 districts by the department.
• These districts include Bulandshahr/Hapur, Hardoi, Bijnor, Amroha, Fatehpur, Kanpur, Badayun, Kaushambi, Prayagraj, Mirzapur, Varanasi and Ghazipur.
• Four other states namely Uttarakhand, Orissa, Tripura and Chhattisgarh will also witness the launching of nationwide River Ranching program.