Water resources: The district is traversed by two main rivers, the Godavari and the Girna. Many small streams meet the Godavari during its course in the district, the important amongst these being the Kadva, Darna and Nasardi. The Girna is also formed of many streams, the prominent being the Aram, Mosam, Panjan and Maniad. The total length of the fluvial waters within the district is about 560 kilometers.

Water reservoirs for irrigation offer good scope for development of reservoir fisheries, The main reservoirs in the district are Chankapur 416.826 hectares (1,030 acres), Gangapur 2,428.116 hectares (6,000 acres) and Darna 3,253. 675 hectares (8,040 acres). Out of 57 tanks, which are either perennial, long or short seasonal, there are only 5 perennial tanks and the approximate total water-spread area of the reservoirs, tanks and ponds is about 9,186.372 hectares (22,700 acres).

Fishes: The bulk of the commercial catch from the rivers and streams, comprises mainly Murrels, Catfishes and minor varieties of carps. The estimated fish production from riverine resources approximates 45 metric tons per annum.

The important varieties of fishes, occurring naturally in the water resources of the district are as under:

Scientific Name	Local Name
Family - Cyprinidae
Oxygaster clupeoides (Bl.)	Chela
Rasbora daniconius (Ham.)	Pal or Dandaonya
Puntius kolus (sykes)	Kolis
Puntius sarana (Ham.)
Cirrhina cirrhosa (Bl.)
LOACHES
Family - Cobitidae
Lepidocephalus guntea (Ham.)
Noemacheilus botia (Ham.)	Muri
CATFISHES
Family - Claridae
Clarias batrachus (L.)	Magur
Family - Saccobrancffidae
Heteropneustes fossilis (Bl.)	Singhee
Family - Silurldae
Wallago attu (Scho.)	Daku, Pahadi
Family - Bagridae
Mystus aor (Ham.)	Shingada or Kirkit
Mystus seenghala (Sykes)	Shingada or Kirkit
KNIFE FISHES
Family - Notopteridae
Notopterus notopterus (Pallas)	Chabhar
Notopterus chitala (Ham.)	Chalat
SNAKE - HEADED FISHES
Family - Channidae
Channa marulius (Ham.)	Phul Murral
Channa striatus (Bl.)	Murrel
Channa punctatus (Bl.)	Dhok
Channa gachua (Ham.)	Dhok
GOBIES
Family-Gobiidae	Kharabi
Glossogobius giuris (Ham.)
SPING ELLS
Family – Mast Acembelidae
Mastocembelus armatus (Lac.)	Yam, Tambu

Methods of Fishing: Gear, which is commonly used in the district is the cast-net, locally called "Phenk Jal". Another gear, which is equally common, is a drag net, locally called "Mahajal" or "Vichari " or "Tol". The drag net with a three-quarter inch mesh is called "Mandur", and with one-quarter inch mesh it is called "Pelni". Gill net or "Tangadi Jal" is also used in some parts.

Drag and gill nets are operated mainly in the rivers, when these, prior to monsoon, run low. Material used for fabricating nets is only cotton twine. After the introduction of synthetic material in preparing gear, fishermen in the district have been progressively replacing cotton twine with twines of synthetic materials, such as Nylon, Terene etc. Twines of synthetic material being much more costly than cotton, it compensates this cost for advantages in terms of more catch and better durability of synthetic twine nets than nets of cotton twine. To encourage the fishermen to go, in for this change, they are given subsidy.

Besides using nets for catching fish, fishermen in the district use funnel-shaped bamboo traps about a meter long with two-third meter circular opening. The bamboo traps are operated, mostly during rainy season at the corners of rice-fields where water drains off, or in the fair weather, in the channels of the small streams. Only small sized fishes are caught in the trap. Fishing by rod and line is also practised on a small scale.

Fishing Communities: There are about 500 fishermen, who are scat­tered about in the district, without forming concentrations of fishing villages. They belong to the communities of Dhimars, Bhois, Kolis and Bhils. Dhimars and Bhois depend entirely on fishing, whereas Kolis and Bhils catch fish for their consumption only.

Developmental activities: Considering the potential of water resources, particularly the irrigation reservoirs, from the viewpoint of developing fisheries in the district and thereby bringing about amelioration in socio­economic condition of fishermen, the Department of Fisheries has established an office in the district under the charge of Assistant Superintendent of Fisheries, Nasik.

As the natural waters are lacking in large densities of quick-growing varieties of fish, such as, Catla, Rohu and Mrigal, the water resources, particularly the tank and reservoirs are surveyed with a view to bringing about on progressive scale as much area of water surface as possible under the culture of these three types of fishes. For this purpose, water resources in the district are stocked every year with the fry and finger lings of major carps. Efforts are also progressively made to produce the requisite fry within the district by artificial methods of fish breeding.

In the socio-economic field, although the fishermen are scattered, efforts have been made to organise them into Fishermen's Co-operative Societies. There are, at present six such societies. As a result fishermen have come forward to take advantage of the developmental schemes. The department helps these societies in getting tanks on lease for the purpose of pisciculture, besides giving financial assistance, by way of loan and subsidy, on the essential commodities required for the trade, such as nylon and cotton twines, boats etc. Similar financial assistance is also granted for construction of rearing and nursery tanks, desilting and renovating tanks and screening of the outlets with a view to increase the production of fish.