Tiracol, a smaller river with an average annual fish catch of just 100 tonnes, cannot compare with Goa’s estuarine fish biodiversity hotspot, the Zuari. But in a year’s time, fisheries scientists have recorded a diverse collection of 165 species in the northernmost estuary. Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Old Goa, which had catalogued 320 fish species in Zuari in a three-year study, recorded 130 fin fish species and 35 shellfish species in an ongoing study in Tiracol. Though the Tiracol’s mouth is narrow and hardly 100 to 200 metres wide, the productivity and fish diversity is very high in the river. There is not much disturbance, except for sand mining, says G B Sreekanth, scientist, ICAR, Old Goa. The bulk of fish species hauled in by fishermen are white sardines, penaeid shrimps, silver-bellies, crabs, mullets, shads, moustached anchovies and Indian mackerels. Breams, toadfish, bamboo sharks, eels, flatfishes, rays, pufferfishes and other species are caught less regularly, Sreekanth said. Hardly any studies have been carried out to document Goa’s coastal fish biodiversity. After the Zuari, ICAR, Goa has ventured into Tiracol with the help of local fishermen, fisheries department and Tiracol biodiversity management committee (BMC). Not long ago, around 60 families eked out a living on fishing activities. The fish biodiversity is rich but the catch is uncertain. If they are lucky, they get a heavy catch but often they are disappointed, Reema Shetkar, a Keri BMC member said. The river’s shallow depth and rocky conditions are suitable for only traditional fishermen and those using motorized boats to practice gillnet fishery. There is no illegal fishing like trawling reported here, says Sreekanth. The fresh catch is preserved in ice and ICAR scientists have observed hygienic handling practices. Mostly, the catch is sold within a day. The fish here is found to be very tasty as the river water is much cleaner, Shetkar said. The estuaries harbour a mixed biodiversity of marine and brackish fish. These estuaries are indicators of richness of fish biodiversity. The study will help sensitise fishermen about importance of conservation of these estuaries, E Chakurkar, director, ICAR, Old Goa said. The fishing community is expecting government’s help through a couple of key measures. The government has marked zones for sand extraction. In the same way, the productive areas could be protected as fishing zones, a fisherman said. Improving the local fish catch can break the dependence on fish imports, Shetkar said. For this, stakeholder participation to draft a workable plan is needed. The participation of fishermen in Tiracol estuary, fisheries ministry and department, research institutions and other stakeholders is needed to formulate a strategic framework for estuarine fisheries management in the state, says Chakurkar.