Guwahati: A consignment of Channa fish was intercepted and seized at the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International (LGBI) Airport in Guwahati on Tuesday (September 29), amid growing scrutiny over the movement of rare snakehead fish from Assam and concerns that protected Channa barca may be passed off as a legally tradable species.
The seizure assumes significance against the backdrop of recent cases involving the alleged illegal transportation of Channa barca, commonly known as the Barca snakehead, and a legal distinction between the protected species and other closely related Channa varieties.
The Gauhati High Court, in a judgment delivered on July 17, 2026, held that Channa stewartii, Channa bleheri and Channa aurantimaculata are not protected under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. The court, however, made it clear that Channa barca, an endangered species listed under the Act, cannot be fished, cultivated, traded or dealt with commercially.
The court’s ruling came in petitions filed by ornamental fish traders who argued that similar-looking Channa species were being confused with Channa barca. The court relied on existing scientific literature and a Zoological Survey of India identification report to hold that the species could be differentiated without the need for a separate expert committee.
However, the legal distinction has also highlighted the challenge faced by enforcement agencies in detecting whether consignments declared as non-protected Channa aurantimaculata actually contain the protected Channa barca.
The Assam Forest Department had told the Gauhati High Court that there had been several instances in the state where Channa barca was allegedly traded under the names of similar-looking fish species. The department had suggested proper certification of traders and specimens by the Fisheries Department to prevent such confusion.
Identification remains a key challenge
The issue of species identification has become particularly significant following recent directions of the Gauhati High Court and correspondence between authorities over the movement of live Channa consignments through LGBI Airport.
In a letter dated September 19, the Assam State Biodiversity Board informed the Airports Authority of India at LGBI Airport that it did not currently have staff with the expertise required to identify live fish specimens.
The Board referred to the Gauhati High Court’s September 18 directions concerning the identification and verification of live fish shipments and recommended two experts for identifying Channa species—Dr Dandadhar Sarma, Professor and Head of the Department of Zoology at Gauhati University, and Dr Shamim Rahman, Assistant Professor of Zoology at Guwahati College.
The experts were recommended to assist authorities in determining the species covered by the court’s directions.
The development is significant because the latest airport seizure will require scientific identification before it can be established whether the consignment contained Channa barca or one of the other Channa species.
A 3,000-fish consignment from Tinsukia
Documents relating to another recent Channa consignment from Assam also illustrate the identification process now being relied upon by authorities.
A certificate issued by the District Fishery Development Officer, Dibrugarh, on September 27 states that 3,000 fish packed in 20 cartons and carried by Sanjib Das had been identified as Channa aurantimaculata. The identification was based on a certificate issued by the Tinsukia Range Forest Officer.
The Range Forest Officer’s certificate records that the fish were physically examined with the assistance of Dr Nipan Nayak, Assistant Professor of Zoology at Tinsukia College.
In a handwritten identification note, Dr Nayak stated that the specimens had different length ranges from Channa barca and that their morphometric characteristics, head patterns and overall appearance indicated Channa aurantimaculata. He also noted that the species is currently categorised as Data Deficient by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The documentation underscores the importance of expert examination in distinguishing Channa aurantimaculata from the protected Channa barca.
Biodiversity approval also under scrutiny
The High Court’s ruling did not give blanket clearance for unrestricted commercial movement of the non-protected Channa species.
The court specifically stated that trade in Channa stewartii, Channa bleheri and Channa aurantimaculata remains subject to applicable laws, including the Biological Diversity Act, 2002.
The Assam State Biodiversity Board regulates requests relating to the commercial utilisation or bio-utilisation of biological resources by Indian nationals and has a mechanism for access to biological resources for commercial purposes under the Access and Benefit Sharing framework.
According to information available in connection with the present movement of Channa fish, the consignment was transported without obtaining the requisite permission or approval from the Assam State Biodiversity Board.
This raises a separate regulatory issue from the question of whether the fish belong to a species protected under the Wildlife (Protection) Act.
Thus, even if a consignment is ultimately identified as Channa aurantimaculata rather than Channa barca, its commercial movement may still be subject to biodiversity-related regulatory requirements.
Alleged misdeclaration under scanner
Wildlife enforcement officials and conservationists have raised concerns that traffickers could potentially exploit the distinction between the species by declaring protected Channa barca as Channa aurantimaculata or another non-scheduled species.
Such allegations would require verification in each individual case through scientific identification of the seized specimens.
The issue has become particularly significant at airports because Assam has emerged as an important source region for rare ornamental fish entering domestic and potentially international markets.
The recent Gauhati High Court proceeding also highlighted the difficulty faced by authorities in clearing consignments of Channa fish for export.
On September 18, the court directed the Airports Authority of India to constitute an expert committee comprising forestry and fisheries experts to identify fish being transported from LGBI Airport after airport authorities raised concerns that a consignment could contain the protected Channa barca. The court directed that the consignment could be transported only after certification that no scheduled species was included.
300 Barca snakeheads seized in Golaghat
The Guwahati airport seizure comes barely a week after a major seizure in Golaghat district.
On September 22, around 300 live specimens of Channa barca were recovered from a public bus near Bokakhat. Five people were apprehended in connection with the alleged illegal transportation, according to Assam Forest Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah. The fish were reportedly being transported without the required documents or permissions.
The seizure has added to concerns about an organised supply chain sourcing rare snakeheads from Assam and neighbouring areas and moving them through transport networks to larger markets.
Earlier cases have also pointed to the lucrative nature of the trade. In December 2023, authorities seized around 500 Channa barca at Dibrugarh airport from two persons who were allegedly attempting to transport the fish to Kolkata. The consignment was estimated at several crores in the international ornamental fish market.
Assam’s rare fish trade under scrutiny
The latest seizure places renewed focus on the movement of rare Channa species from Assam, particularly the need for reliable species identification and documentation at points of collection, transportation and export.
For enforcement agencies, the central challenge is to distinguish legally tradable ornamental species from Channa barca, whose commercial exploitation remains prohibited under the Wildlife (Protection) Act.
The species identification of the fish seized at Guwahati airport will therefore be crucial in determining whether the consignment involved legally tradable Channa species or the protected Barca snakehead.
At the same time, authorities will have to examine whether the consignment complied with applicable biodiversity regulations, including requirements governing the commercial utilisation of biological resources.
Further details about the quantity of fish seized, their declared species, the consignor and intended destination were not immediately available.
The latest seizure also comes as authorities work to address gaps in species identification and certification at LGBI Airport, with expert examination potentially playing a decisive role in determining the legal status of the seized fish.