In news : Recently, this alliance has started a campaign to protect this Fishing Cat
About the Fishing Cat
- Scientific name: Prionailurus viverrinus,
- Habitat: Across its range, the fishing cat is found to be highly associated with wetland habitats, mangroves, marshlands, rivers and stream
- IUCN Red List: Vulnerable within their range countries.
- CITES: Appendix II
- WPA 1972: Schedule I
- Unlike most felines, fishing cats love water and are known for their expert hunting skills in aquatic habitats.
- Appearance:
- Fishing cats are stocky with a powerful build.
- They have a large neck and head, short muscular legs and a deep chest. Weighing between 7 to 16 kg, they are the largest of the Prionailurus genus.
The tail of the fishing cat is unusually short, about half the length of the body, and is used as a rudder while swimming.
- Threats: Habitat loss and fragmentation, conflict with humans over poultry and livestock, as well as the demand for bushmeat and trade for captive wildlife are causing fishing cat populations to decline.
- Distribution: It is found distributed in patches across South and Southeast Asia. Confirmed records show fishing cat populations to be present in Sri Lanka, India, Nepal, Cambodia, Thailand, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar.
- Its population in India: Apart from Sundarbans in West Bengal and Bangladesh, fishing cats inhabit the Chilika lagoon and surrounding wetlands in Odisha, Coringa and Krishna mangroves in Andhra Pradesh.
The Fishing Cat Conservation Alliance (FCCA)
- FCCA is a team of conservationists, researchers and fishing cat enthusiasts working to achieve a single dream – a world with functioning floodplains and coastal ecosystems that would ensure the survival of the fishing cat and all species with which it shares a home.
- Goal: To conduct sound and meaningful research to determine the ecological needs of this unique species and to engage the community in conservation efforts
- Aim: Its aim is to mainstream fishing cat conservation, to inspire fascination instead of fear, and to have a positive impact on the livelihoods of those who live alongside the fishing cat, from conflict to curiosity for the species.
- Mission: It supports the conservation of fishing cats and their natural habitats within their geographical range in South and South East Asia, by working with local partners around the world to identify and mitigate threats to the species, and to engage local communities in conservation.
Source: The Hindu & Fishing Cat Alliance
