Fish-Diversity in the Kura River of Bangladesh: Patterns and Threats (original) (raw)
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Fish biodiversity in the Khiru River of Bangladesh: Present status and threats ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT
International Journal of Natural and Social Sciences, 2020
assess the status of fish diversity in the Khiru River of Mymensingh district in Bangladesh. Primary data were collected through questionnaire interviews of 80 fishermen, 8 focus group discussions, and 5 key informant interviews. A total of 64 fish and prawn species under 22 families and 11 orders were recorded. Cyprinidae (31.25%) was the most diversified family. On the basis of their availability the recorded species were categorized into four groups: available (35.94%), less available (29.69%), rare (20.31%), and very rare (14.06%). A total of 10 fishing gears under 5 major categories viz., fish nets, fish traps, wounding gears, hooks and lines, and fish aggregating device were recorded. Overfishing, siltation, use of banned fishing gears, irrespective catching of juvenile and brood fishes, katha fishing, etc. were detected as major threats to the fish diversity and habitat degradation of the fishes in this river. Therefore, dredging, use of legally applicable fishing gears, establishment and management of fish sanctuary, community based fisheries management, stocking of economically and nutritionally important indigenous fish species, implementation of fish acts and laws, and increasing fishers' awareness should be undertaken to conserve the fish diversity in this river.
Fish biodiversity in the Khiru River of Bangladesh: Present status and threats
2020
This study was conducted from December 2016 to November 2017 to assess the status of fish diversity in the Khiru River of Mymensingh district in Bangladesh. Primary data were collected through questionnaire interviews of 80 fishermen, 8 focus group discussions, and 5 key informant interviews. A total of 64 fish and prawn species under 22 families and 11 orders were recorded. Cyprinidae (31.25%) was the most diversified family. On the basis of their availability the recorded species were categorized into four groups: available (35.94%), less available (29.69%), rare (20.31%), and very rare (14.06%). A total of 10 fishing gears under 5 major categories <em>viz</em>., fish nets, fish traps, wounding gears, hooks and lines, and fish aggregating device were recorded. Overfishing, siltation, use of banned fishing gears, irrespective catching of juvenile and brood fishes, <em>katha</em> fishing, etc. were detected as major threats to the fish diversity and habitat d...
Status and current worries of fish diversity in the Payra river, Patuakhali, Bangladesh
The study was conducted for a period of one year from April 2013 to March 2014 in the Payra River, Patuakhali, Bangladesh. A total of 114 fish species under 12 orders and 36 families were recorded in the River. On the basis of availability, the recorded species were categorized into four statuses and obtained as available (43.86%), less available (29.82%), rare (18.42%) and very rare (7.89%). Result of the study identified nine species as very rare which may extinct near future resulting declination of the fish diversity. Overfishing, indiscriminate fishing of larvae and juveniles, siltation and pollution were identified as the major worries linked with the declination of fish diversity. Study suggested that the activities which have harmful impact on fisheries resources need to be decreased and should be restricted to save our valuable fish diversity in the Payra River
Fish Diversity and Its Threatened Status of the Dharla River in Bangladesh
Croatian Journal of Fisheries
Fish diversity of a riverine ecosystem became reduced due to different manmade and natural calamities. This study investigated the present fish biodiversity status of the Dharla River located (25.8103° N, 89.6487° E) in the northern part of Bangladesh from January to December 2018. In this study, the existing fish biodiversity status of the Dharla River was estimated in terms of diversity indices and threatened status (both global and local). Data was collected from the three sampling sites of the river using different fishing gears and three selected fish markets located in the Kurigram district of Bangladesh. A total of 76 fish species were identified belonging to 8 orders, 26 families and 57 genera. The Cyprinidae was the most dominant family represented by 14 species followed by the Danionidae (13 species), Bagridae (8 species) and few minor families. Apart from the indigenous species, nine exotic fish species were also recorded. The Shannon-Weaver diversity (H), Pielous evennes...
Archives of Agriculture and Environmental Science , 2018
The study was aimed to find out the present status and causes of fish and shellfish diversity reduction in the Rupsa River of Bangladesh. Studies were conducted for a period of 6 months from July to December 2016. Focus group discussions (FGD), questionnaire interviews (QI) and key informant interviews (KII) were done to collect appropriate data from the local fishers and resource persons. A total of 62 species of fish and shellfish from 23 families were found in the river and 9 species disappeared in last 10 years. The species availability status was remarked in three categories and obtained as 14 species were commonly available, 28 species were moderately available and 20 species were rarely available. The highest percentage of fishes was catfishes (24.19%). There was a gradual reduction in the species diversity from previous 71 species to present 62 species with 12.68% declined by last 10 years. Average fish catch per fishermen per day reduced from 8.35 kg to 2.95 kg in last 10 years. Combined effects of some manmade and environmental factors are responsible for the loss of biodiversity. Majority of the respondents (90%) agreed that two manmade factors namely overfishing and navigation are mainly responsible for the loss of fish and shellfish diversity in the river followed by use of illegal fishing gears (86%), pollution (72.5%) and urbanization (64%). During the survey, 93.25% respondents reported water depth reduction as the main environmental factor followed by siltation and sedimentation (91%), temperature (61.75%) and turbidity (56%). The present work recommends preventing water pollution, maintaining fishing gears, increasing fishers’ awareness, implementing fisheries laws and establishing fish sanctuary to conserve finfish and shellfish diversity in the river. Moreover, counter and random surveys are also recommended to crosscheck the fishes’ status and decline causes for ensuring their proper management and conservation.
Present Status of Fish Biodiversity in Dekhar Haor, Bangladesh: a Case Study
The study was conducted to identify the present status of fish biodiversity in Dekhar Haor of Sunamganj for a period of 11 months from June 2013 to April 2014. It was done by questionnaire interviews (QI) of fishers, focus group discussions (FGD), key informant interviews (KII) and secondary data collection. During the study period, a total of 84 fish species under 30 families were recorded where 65 species under 23 families were found available in the study area and 19 species disappeared by last 10-15 years. The species availability status was remarked in four categories and obtained as 26 commonly available, 18 moderately available, 21 rarely available and 19 not available species. Among the available species, 9 of carps, 16 of catfishes, 10 of barbs and minnows, 1 of clupeid, 4 of snakeheads, 4 of eels, 11 of perches, 1 of featherback, 3 of loaches and other miscellaneous 6 species including 3 species of prawns were found. The highest abundance of fishes was catfish (24.62%). Highest number of commonly available species (26) was found in October to December and lowest number of commonly available species (7) was observed in April. Among 54 threatened fish species listed by IUCN Bangladesh, about 37 species were found 10-15 years ago in the Haor but only 24 were found during the study period. It is revealed that there has been gradual reduction of fish diversity in the Dekhar Haor area that is from the earlier 84 species to present 65 species (22.62% declined). Average fish catch per fisherman per day was also reduced from 8.35 kg to 1.4 kg in the Dekhar Haor within 10-15 years. Community based fisheries management, fishing gears maintenance, sanctuary establishment and management, implementation of fish acts and regulations, stocking of fish fingerling in the open waters, dredging of beels and raising public awareness can play a great role in conserving fish biodiversity.
Check-List of Fish Availability in the Karatoya River, Bangladesh
2015
The present study was conducted in the Karatoya River; Bangladesh to find out the fish species availability during January 2012 to December 2012. Samples were accumulated fortnightly from the fishermen catch fished in different points of the River from Shibganj Upazila to Bogra Sadar Upazila. The present study revealed 49 species of fish under 8 orders and 18 families. Cypriniformes was the most dominant order representing 36.74% of the total fish population followed by the Siluriformes (22.45%) and Perciformes (22.45%). On the other hand, Cyprinidae was the most dominant family constituting 31.25% of the total fish population followed by Bagridae (10.20%). Among the available fish species, 18.37% were very rare while 40.82% were rare. Only 30.61% of the total fish population was found throughout the year in a small amount while merely 6.12% was available throughout the year in large quantity. More than half of the fish population available in the Karatoya River is threatened to extinct due to sundry reasons. Lack of water flow throughout the year especially during the dry season was found to be the main threat for fish species conservation in the Karatoya River. Furthermore, siltation, destructive fishing methods, indiscriminate fishing of fry, fingerlings and the brood fish are the additional threats for sustainable fisheries management. Orchestrated dredging program should be commenced to increase the water holding capacity of the river. Fish sanctuaries need to be established which will sanction the fish some sort of shelter during the dry season and heavy fishing pressure. Indiscriminate and destructive fishing must be ostracized and community-based fisheries management should be inspirited. Further detailed studies on fisheries biology including reproductive biology, growth, stock assessment and their association with subsisting laws are essential for the sustainable management and conservation of fish species in the Karatoya River, Bangladesh.
2017
The present study was concerned to assess the present status of biodiversity in the Bhairab river, Jessore with its conservation measures. The study was based on primary observations, questionnaire interviews with 50 fishers, focus group discussions with river bank community members and cross-check interviews with key informants. The study was conducted for a period four months from May to August, 2016. The objective of the study was to assess the fish biodiversity in the Bhairab river, understand the existing fishing practices of the river and to identify proper management strategies for the conservation of fish biodiversity. Results of the study revealed that three kinds of fishers were engaged in the Bhairab river namely, professional fishers; seasonal fishers and subsistence fishers. Seven types of fishing gears like seine net, gill net, cast net, push net, lift net, trap and hook and line were operated to fish by the fishers during the survey. A total of 39 species of fish were identified in the catches of the Bhairab River. There are degraded ecosystems and declining biodiversity have found during the study. According to survey, fishing pressure and over fishing were responsible for almost 38% loss and pollution and siltation caused about 27% loss of ecosystem. Around 21% and 14% loss of ecosystem were caused by urbanization and human encroachment, and the recreational activities respectively. These have been created a great impact on river ecology. As a result, the water quality is deteriorating day by day and the availability of fish species and other aquatic biodiversity is decreasing gradually. During the survey, 20 species was found at a risk of being endangered. From the survey, it was found that the overexploitation of fish was responsible for the 40% losses of biodiversity in the Bhairab River and water pollution caused 35% loss of biodiversity. Henceforth, river course change and habitat degradation resulted in 15% and 10% loss of biodiversity of the river respectively. This study was identified possible ways to achieve a rich fish biodiversity in the Bhairab River with social, economic and environmental aspects. The specific recommendations are included community based fisheries management, establishment of sanctuary, control of pollution, maintenance of fishing gears and the implementation of fish act for conservation of fish biodiversity of the Bhairab River. Asian J. Med. Biol. Res. 2017, 3 (3) 358 1. Introduction Bangladesh is endowed with vast water resources and it is the one of the most precious natural resources. About 800 rivers including tributaries flow through the country constituting a waterway of total length around 24,140 km (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2012).There are about 4.02 million ha open water in this country which contributes a lot to fisheries sector (DoF, 2012). According to the World Bank (1991), Bangladesh has the various water resources including rivers, floodplains, ponds, beels, haors and a long coastline, diverse aquatic wealth and climate suitable for high yields and considerable increase in fish production. Fisheries make crucial contributions to the world's well-being and prosperity. In the last five decades, world fish food supply has outpaced global population growth, and today fish constitutes an important source of nutritious food and animal protein for much of the world's population (FAO, 2012). Fish and fisheries are the indispensable part of life and livelihood of the people of Bangladesh too since immemorial time. It is an element of the country's cultural heritage (DoF, 2012). Total global capture production in inland waters has increased dramatically since the mid-2000s. Total production amounted to 11.2 milliontons in 2010, an increase of 30% since 2004 (FAO, 2012).Bangladesh is one of the world's leading inland fisheries producer with an annual production of fish was 1.05 million metric tons which constituted 34.45% of total catch in 2011 (DoF, 2012). Riverine capture fisheries in the form of common property and open access resources constitute a vital component of the agro-ecosystem of rural Bangladesh (Blaikie and Sadeque, 2000). The Bhairabriveris also playing an important role in the total fish production of the country. The Bhairabriverbegins from the Jalangi, river takes off few miles to the northern karimpur. Then it turns to the east to meherpur and its pass through Jessore town. The Bhairab River is about 160 kilometers long and wide about 71 meters. It's average depth is1.2 to 1.5 meters with a normal water flow and plenty of silt (Fluharty, 2000). According to DoF (2012), about 289 freshwater fish species under 13 order and 61families are found in these rivers. The biodiversity of the Bhairab river are quite well and a important rivers of Bangladesh. The massive siltation has threatened the existence of this important river and it is gradually being turned in to a canal .The Bhairab River has two main branches the khulnaIchmati and the kapotakkho. The Khulna Ichamati forms a boundary between Bangladesh and India. The town of Khulna and Jessore are situated in the bank of the river. The Bhairab River has its blessings for the Bangladesh providing fishing, communication and irrigation facilities but is now drying up. The fishers who have been living beside the river are facing difficulties and hardship due to lack of fish in the river. The term 'biodiversity' introduced in the mid-1980s for the total richness and variety of life on earth. The biodiversity of the Bhairab River is so diverse and community lives around this river depend mainly on this river for their livelihood (Hossain and Ahmed, 2008). The livelihood of a large number of people beside the river depends mainly on fishing in the Bhairab River. According to IUCN (2000), about 54 freshwater species are critically or somewhat endangered in the country. Among them 14 species are listed as critically endangered; 27 as endangered and 14 as vulnerable. Overfishing, rapid extraction of fish seed and broodstock, destructive and unregulated fishing practices, pollution, introduction of exotic species, loss of aquatic habitat due to siltation, dam construction, and other anthropogenic activities have been the major causes of fish species loss. Human activities are causing species to disappear at an alarming rate. Aquatic species are at a higher risk of extinction than mammals and birds. Losses of this magnitude impact the entire ecosystem, depriving valuable resources used to provide food, medicines, and industrial materials to human beings. Runoff from agricultural and urban areas, the invasion of exotic species, and the creation of dams and water diversion have been identified as the greatest challenges to freshwater environments (Allan and Flecker, 1993). Biodiversity and its conservation are regarded as one of the major issues of enabling sustainable use of natural resources and are essential for the Bhairab River. Conserving diversity also improves the likelihood of maintaining minimal viable populations of rare and late-successional species. Maintaining biodiversity is important because it is not always possible to identify which individual species are critical to aquatic ecosystems sustainability. The findings of the study will, in particular, be applicable to the management of the Bhairab River in Jessore. Moreover, the findings are expected to be useful to students, researchers and policy makers. This study may helpful to stakeholders who are interested in conducting the similar study in other parts of the country, particularly the conservation of fish biodiversity. The overall goal of this study is to conserve fish biodiversity of Bhairab River. The main objectives of the present study were to assess the availability of fish biodiversity in Bhairab River; to understand the existing fishing practices of the Bhairab River and to identify proper management strategies for the conservation of fish biodiversity.
Checklist of fish species in the Shari-Goyain river, Bangladesh: Threats and conservation measures
Indian Journal of Geo Marine Sciences, 2021
The study was conducted to investigate the fish diversity status of the Shari-Goyain river, in the northeastern part of Bangladesh. A total of 66 fish species belong to 9 orders and 27 families were identified. Among these, almost 80% of the total fish population was from the orders, Siluriformes, Cypriniformes, and Perciformes. Fishes from the family Cyprinidae (22.71%) were found to be most abundant. Among 14 common groups of fishes identified, the highest contribution (28.79%) was from the catfishes. Ten vulnerable, eight endangered, and one critically endangered fish species were recorded. Alarmingly, based on their availability, 25 % and 18 % of the entire fish community were found to be rare and very rare, respectively. The present study suggests various conservation initiatives entailing the establishment of the fish sanctuary, ranching of threatened fish species, strict enactment of fishing laws and community-based fisheries management.
Sibsa River is a significant and familiar river in southwest Bangladesh in terms of fish production and source of income for many fishermen living around it. The present study was planned to assess the current fish diversity status of this river. Fish samples were collected fortnightly from six sampling stations of the Sibsa River at Khulna district in SouthWestern Bangladesh during May 2011 to April 2012. A total of 61 species of fish under 10 orders and 27 families were recorded. Perciformes were most leading order constituting 42.62% of the total fish population followed by Siluriformes (11.48%), Clupeiformes (9.84%), Pleuronectiformes (3.29%), Synbranchiformes (3.29%), Osteoglossiformes (1.64%), Beloniformes (1.64%), Mugiliformes (4.92%), Cypriniformes (16.39%) and Tetraodontiformes (4.92%). Fishes in this river are seriously affected by the various kinds of human development interventions and activities. Under this circumstance, a better understanding of the diversity and distribution of fishes in the Sibsa River is urgently needed.