Indian Fishy facts

Fishing plays a major role in the life of many Indians. India has over 2 million square kilometers of sea, nearly 200.000 km of rivers and canals and close to 6.1 million hectares of other water bodies. The annual potential catch is of 5 million ton of seafood and fisheries and aquaculture contribute 1.07 per cent to the national GDP (2007). The estimated number of freshwater fish species: 801

In some areas of India fish is attributed with healing powers. For instance in Hyderabad India, every year tens of thousands of asthma-sufferers come together to swallow live sardines smeared with a secret yellow herbal paste which they believe will cure their breathing problems. This formula, said to be received from a Hindu saint about 170 years ago, is given away for free. The Goud family offers the treatment annually on a day chosen by astrologers. They refuse however to reveal the mix, saying the saint warned it would lose its potency if commercialized. Hence Walldog unfortunately can’t share it with you…

In ancient Eastern Indian mythology on the other hand, the fish is a symbol of transformation and creation. This is observed in the ancient flood myth in which Vishnu transformed himself into a fish (Matsya) to save the world from a great flood. In this form, he guided king Manus boat (which contained the select few survivors & seeds of life to re-create the world after the flood subsided) to safety.