India is the second biggest inland fish producer in the world. However, though blessed with one of the richest riverine fish gene pools and a network on hundreds of rivers, floodplains, ox bows and estuaries, the contribution of riverine and capture fisheries is declining sharply and many have collapsed, despite having a great potential to grow. India has 14 major and 44 medium rivers and countless tributaries, floodplains, riparian tracts, mangroves and estuaries. These inland water bodies combined together, stretch over 45,000 km across the country, making India one of the richest fish germplasm in the world. However, the reallocation of water through dams has severely affected the ecosystem of these rivers, as the downstream flows are restricted and mangroves vanish.