132
The HA lakes of this region are generally dealt
with in relation to their fi sh production. A brief
account of the HA lakes of the region in relation
to fi sh production is given below.
Lake Balkhash
Lake Balkhash is a comparatively lower-altitude
waterbody, with a mix of coldwater and temperate
water fi sh stocks. Since the beginning of the twentieth century, Lake Balkhash fi sh stocks have been
intensively manipulated through transfers of additional fi sh species from other river basins situated
within the ex-Soviet Union. The wild form of
common carp ( Cyprinus carpio ) was the fi rst fi sh
species introduced in 1905 in Lake Balkhash .
Roach was introduced in Lake Balkhash in 1965 as
food for pikeperch when pikeperch started to
decline. Further, in the Lake Balkhash drainage,
osman does not appear in rivers and small shallow
waterbodies located below the altitude of 600 m. It
is common between 800 and 1,500 m altitude,
where it inhabits predominantly fast running mountain streams.
Alakol Lakes
Three large waterbodies in the region have
become unique experimental sites for testing the
possibility of increasing fi sh production through
the introduction of fi sh and invertebrates. These
are the (a) Lake Balkhash, (b) Alakol lakes (situated east of Lake Balkhash) and (c) Lake Zaysan/
Bukhtarminsk reservoir on the River Irtysh.
In 1932–1933, about 1,000 broodstock wild
carps were released in Alakol lakes. In 1930,
while commercial fi shery was just beginning on
these lakes, the total catch was 385 t year
−1 , of
which 65 % was marinka, 31 % perch and 4 %
common carp. Further, in the Alakol lakes,
introductions started in 1930 and resulted in
fi sh stocks now being dominated by the introduced bream and pikeperch. In addition, in the
Lake Markakol , in the Altai, considerable
efforts have been put into hatchery production
of the indigenous fi sh lenok ( Brachymystax
lenok , Salmonidae). Also, in the Lake Markakol ,
males and females have a similar growth rate.
However, the females lay 1,500 eggs on the
average in this lake.
Notwithstanding the above, a special area on
Lake Markakol has been designated as protected
habitat for lenok and Arctic grayling. Here only
minimum sustainable angling is allowed, and this
has led to the rehabilitation of lenok stocks.
However, there had been not much attempts to
develop the fi sh stocks in the mountain rivers of
Tien Shan, although rainbow trout was stocked in
several mountain lakes .
In addition to the HA natural lakes, there are
some man-made artifi cial reservoirs in this region
formed by damming of rivers. Signifi cant of
these are the Bukhtarminsk reservoir (with Lake
Zaysan forming part of it) formed by the damming of the River Irtysh. This reservoir has a
water spread area of 5,500 km
2 at FSL. It had
yielded 5,442–8,483 t of fi sh/year between 1980
and 1991 (Karpova et al . 1996). Further, in the
reservoir, bream (with 87 % of the total catch)
had dominated the catch in 1991, followed by
pikeperch, perch and roach.
Concomitant to above, occurrence of some of
the fi shes of this region is briefl y given below:
(a) Arctic grayling ( Thymallus arcticus ) is a
common fi sh of Siberian rivers, especially in
the upper reaches, and in coldwater lakes
where it has evolved into local races.
(b) Balkhash marinka ( Schizothorax argentatus )
is present in all catchment rivers of Lake
Balkhash and Lake Issyk Kul, and until
recently it was also found in the lakes of both
basins. It grows to a big size in Lake Issyk
Kul , in which, however, it is a rare fi sh. In the
Altai region, only the benthos-feeding scaleless osman is present.
(c) Scaled osman ( Diptychus maculates ): Its distribution is almost similar to that of the preceding species in the north, i.e. it does not
reach beyond the Balkhash catchment . The
species inhabits the uppermost stretches of
rivers and mountain lakes located above
1,200 m.
6.9.2.7 High Altitude Lentic Bodies
of Caucasus
Lake Sevan, lying at 1,900 m MSL (depending
on the water drawdown) and at 40° N latitude, is
a large highly manipulated a HA tectonic FW lake
6 Lakes of the World
The HA lakes of this region are generally dealt
with in relation to their fi sh production. A brief
account of the HA lakes of the region in relation
to fi sh production is given below.
Lake Balkhash
Lake Balkhash is a comparatively lower-altitude
waterbody, with a mix of coldwater and temperate
water fi sh stocks. Since the beginning of the twentieth century, Lake Balkhash fi sh stocks have been
intensively manipulated through transfers of additional fi sh species from other river basins situated
within the ex-Soviet Union. The wild form of
common carp ( Cyprinus carpio ) was the fi rst fi sh
species introduced in 1905 in Lake Balkhash .
Roach was introduced in Lake Balkhash in 1965 as
food for pikeperch when pikeperch started to
decline. Further, in the Lake Balkhash drainage,
osman does not appear in rivers and small shallow
waterbodies located below the altitude of 600 m. It
is common between 800 and 1,500 m altitude,
where it inhabits predominantly fast running mountain streams.
Alakol Lakes
Three large waterbodies in the region have
become unique experimental sites for testing the
possibility of increasing fi sh production through
the introduction of fi sh and invertebrates. These
are the (a) Lake Balkhash, (b) Alakol lakes (situated east of Lake Balkhash) and (c) Lake Zaysan/
Bukhtarminsk reservoir on the River Irtysh.
In 1932–1933, about 1,000 broodstock wild
carps were released in Alakol lakes. In 1930,
while commercial fi shery was just beginning on
these lakes, the total catch was 385 t year
−1 , of
which 65 % was marinka, 31 % perch and 4 %
common carp. Further, in the Alakol lakes,
introductions started in 1930 and resulted in
fi sh stocks now being dominated by the introduced bream and pikeperch. In addition, in the
Lake Markakol , in the Altai, considerable
efforts have been put into hatchery production
of the indigenous fi sh lenok ( Brachymystax
lenok , Salmonidae). Also, in the Lake Markakol ,
males and females have a similar growth rate.
However, the females lay 1,500 eggs on the
average in this lake.
Notwithstanding the above, a special area on
Lake Markakol has been designated as protected
habitat for lenok and Arctic grayling. Here only
minimum sustainable angling is allowed, and this
has led to the rehabilitation of lenok stocks.
However, there had been not much attempts to
develop the fi sh stocks in the mountain rivers of
Tien Shan, although rainbow trout was stocked in
several mountain lakes .
In addition to the HA natural lakes, there are
some man-made artifi cial reservoirs in this region
formed by damming of rivers. Signifi cant of
these are the Bukhtarminsk reservoir (with Lake
Zaysan forming part of it) formed by the damming of the River Irtysh. This reservoir has a
water spread area of 5,500 km
2 at FSL. It had
yielded 5,442–8,483 t of fi sh/year between 1980
and 1991 (Karpova et al . 1996). Further, in the
reservoir, bream (with 87 % of the total catch)
had dominated the catch in 1991, followed by
pikeperch, perch and roach.
Concomitant to above, occurrence of some of
the fi shes of this region is briefl y given below:
(a) Arctic grayling ( Thymallus arcticus ) is a
common fi sh of Siberian rivers, especially in
the upper reaches, and in coldwater lakes
where it has evolved into local races.
(b) Balkhash marinka ( Schizothorax argentatus )
is present in all catchment rivers of Lake
Balkhash and Lake Issyk Kul, and until
recently it was also found in the lakes of both
basins. It grows to a big size in Lake Issyk
Kul , in which, however, it is a rare fi sh. In the
Altai region, only the benthos-feeding scaleless osman is present.
(c) Scaled osman ( Diptychus maculates ): Its distribution is almost similar to that of the preceding species in the north, i.e. it does not
reach beyond the Balkhash catchment . The
species inhabits the uppermost stretches of
rivers and mountain lakes located above
1,200 m.
6.9.2.7 High Altitude Lentic Bodies
of Caucasus
Lake Sevan, lying at 1,900 m MSL (depending
on the water drawdown) and at 40° N latitude, is
a large highly manipulated a HA tectonic FW lake
6 Lakes of the World