Short-Neck Clam Population Shows Signs of Recovery in Ashtamudi Lake

One year after the ICAR–Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) launched its stock enhancement programme in Ashtamudi Lake, the short-neck clam (Paphia malabarica) population is exhibiting early signs of recovery.

Key Highlights

• Positive Population Trends
  Monitoring data shows:
  • Clear evidence of spatfall (natural settlement of juvenile clams).
  • Marginal increase in the overall standing stock of short-neck clams.
• Hatchery-Produced Seed Release
  The encouraging results follow the release of 3 million hatchery-produced clam seeds from CMFRI’s Vizhinjam regional centre into the lake.
• Environmental Threats Identified
  CMFRI cautioned that two major practices threaten the recovering stock:
  • Unscientific sediment dredging, which disturbs the clam habitat.
  • Collection of broken shells in areas experiencing spatfall, which can destroy vulnerable seed clams before they reach maturity.
• Importance of Short-Neck Clam
  The short-neck clam, an economically valuable bivalve mollusc, forms the primary fishery resource of the brackishwater Ashtamudi Lake.