Community Based Fisheries Management (CBFM) in Sunamganj district of Bangladesh: the nature of cooperation and conflicts

There are altogether 411 haors comprising an area of about 8000 square kilometer, covering 25% of entire region dispersed in the districts of Sunamgonj, Sylhet, Moulvibazar, Hobigonj, Netrokona and Kishoreganj. Sunamganj district is particularly known as a district of haors and baors where a large number of people depend on fishing for their livelihood. Some people are basically fishermen and fish all the year round. Community Based Fisheries Management (CBFM) project has been initiated in this area to develop fishery sector as well as for the development of the inland fishermen of haor area. Healthy cooperation among the beneficiaries of the project is very much present and some NGOs are found working actively there to help the fishermen for the sound implementation of the project. But the influentials of different villages around create troubles and conflicts intentionally in the project area because of which fishermen cannot fish smoothly and the implementation of the project is getting hampered. Therefore, a kind of consensus needs to be reached among the inhabitants of the haor area and a powerful association of the fishermen should be established so that fishing may be undertaken in the beel without having any troubles and conflicts. In this article the conflicts and cooperation that are in existence in the implementation process of CBFM project in the haor areas of Sunamgonj district have been discussed. Some suggestions have been offered in the paper to overcome the existing conflicts impeding the smooth implementation of CBFM project in the fishery sector of haor area under Sunamganj district.

Some biological and ecological considerations for research in the management of the fisheries of Lakes Victoria and Kyoga

There is little doubt that the exploitation of the current fisheries of Lakes Victoria and Kyoga requires close monitoring with a view to enforce adherence to prudent management practices. Many indigenous fishes have gradually disappeared from the commercial fishery of both lakes. In the Uganda portion of Lake Victoria for instance Okaronon and Wadanya (in press) have shown that:- 1. The once preponderant haplochromiine taxon ceased to feature in the commercial catches in 1979. 2. The lung-fish (Protopterus aethiopicus) which formerly contributed significantly to the commercial landings had declined to minor species status by the mid 1980s. 3. The catfishes Clarias mossambicus and Bagrus docmac, formerly major fish species, contributed insignificant quantities to the commercial fishery since the early and mid 1980s, respectively. Similar trend have been "reported in the Kenya and Tanzania portions of Lake Victoria (Bwathondi, 1985; Mainga, 1985, Witte and Goudswaard, 1985). On the other hand since their establishment all round the lake in the early to mid 1980s some introduced fishes namely Nile perch (Lates niloticus) and Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) built up impressive stocks in Lake Victoria (Ssentongo and Welcomme, 1985, Okaronon et al. 1985; Okaronon and Wadanya, in press). Togetther with the native pelagic cyprinid Rastrineobola argentea or Dagaa/Mukene the introduced fishes have contributed unprecidented catches, stimulating vibrant commercial fisheries which have yielded significant social economic benefits to the peoples of the three states riparian to the Lake (Reynolds and Greboval, 1988; Kudhongania et al in press). The impressive landings particularly of the Nile perch and Nile tilapia have also led to rapid industrialisation of fish processing in East Africa mainly for the export market. Fish export has now the potential of a major foreign exchange enterprise in the region.