Social status and problems of fishing community at Allahabad

The paper highlights social status and socio-economic problems of fishermen living along the Ganga and the Yamuna at Allahabad. Since the problems of fishermen varied with respect to category (with owned boat and with hired boat) and location, significance of this variation was tested by x²-test. The paper further emphasises on an intensive study of fishermen community to have in depth analysis of their problems and to suggest remedial measures for their upliftment.

Diversity of wetland fish and its impact on the income of fishermen community of Assam.

A survey was conducted in 3000 fishermen households surrounding 54 wetlands (Beels) of Assam. The fish diversity of the wetlands has been decreasing during the last few years due to some extrinsic and intrinsic factors. The total number of fish species recorded so far during the present study is 67 belonging to 21 families. Cyprinidae is the most dominant family represented by major group species (8), intermediate group species (3) and minor group species (12) of high commercial value. Among these three groups, the diversity of fish species is higher in the minor group fish. The present paper deals with the economic condition of the fishermen who mainly fish in the wetlands. The economic condition of the fishermen community is found very poor. The income of fishermen varies from Rs. 4.478 to Rs.7,484 per annum. A regression analysis shows that the income of fishermen is not dependent alone on the fish production but it is exclusively dependent on the value of the fish catch. All the three groups (in terms of value) have significant influence at 10.00% confidence level. But analysis of β shows that the intermediate fish group exhibits the highest influence on the variation of the fishermen income followed by minor and major group respectively.

Community water access, availability and management in the Tonle Sap region, Cambodia.

During the rollout of CGIAR Research Program on Aquatic Agricultural Systems (AAS) in Tonle Sap in 2013, water management was highlighted as one of the key development challenges. With limited capacity to regulate water, the situation oscillates between too much water in the wet season and too little water in the dry season. Access to and availability of water were seen by local communities as major limitations for aquatic and agricultural production, impacting on functions that include the lake fishery, intensive (dry season) rice crops, recession rice, rainfed rice and floating rice by the lakeside. For both fish and rice production, water and water management are determined principally by the natural flooding of the Tonle Sap Lake. This study is based on a community survey on water access, availability and management and was conceived out of the AAS consultation process and was developed to help identify existing practices in water use and management, as well as best practices where lessons can be learned and promising activities scaled out to other communities. The community survey also aims to understand, identify and analyze constraints and opportunities related to water, and includes a gender perspective to better understand the role of women in water management and use.

Community visioning and action plans: Tonle Sap hub

The process of rolling out the CGIAR Research Program on Aquatic Agricultural Systems (AAS) in 12 target villages in the Tonle Sap region in Cambodia throughout 2013 involved several important tasks at different stages. This report covers one of those tasks: the Community Life Competence Process (CLCP), commonly referred to by stakeholders as "visioning". It has two main objectives: (1) to document the community visioning process, including the development of a community action plan and NGO work plan to monitor progress; and (2) to document village and network profiles of key community stakeholders at the village level.

Impact of community-based fisheries management practices on production and species diversity in Turag-Bangshi basin floodplains in Kaliakoir, Gazipur, Bangladesh

The study was conducted to investigate the communities perception and compliance to community-based fisheries management (CBFM) in Turag-Bangshi floodplains under Kaliakoir, Gazipur District. Measures such as ban on use of the harmful fishing gears, seasonal fishing closure, halt of fry fishing, halt of dewatering of beels and the impact of establishment of sanctuaries on fish production and species diversity were introduced by MACH project. Almost all members of the communities in Turag-Bangshi MACH (Management of Aquatic Ecosystem through Community Husbandry) site welcomed the introduction and complied with the implementation of all management measures which helped stopped use of harmful fishing gears, ensured survival and breeding of brood fish in the rainy season, protected and allowed fry to grow big, restored lost and degraded fisheries and organized communities for sustainable development of the fisheries. A total of 51 species of fishes were found in Makosh beel (natural depression). Among these, small indigenous species (SIS) under Cyprinidae family (Puntius sophore) was the most dominant. Many species available in the past recorded disappeared from the Makosh beel due to loss of habitat and industrial pollution that damaged spawning and nursery grounds of fish. Introduction of some selective native endangered species (Nandus nandus, Notopterus notopterus, Ompok pabda and Labeo calbasu) by MACH in the Turag-Bangshi water bodies increased diversity of species from 82 to 95. Over a period of five years during MACH intervention, the average production remained nearly 200% higher than the baseline production of 57 kg/ha to present 207 kg/ha due to maintaining sanctuaries and the closed fishing seasons. Per capita daily fish consumption of the surrounding communities also increased by 78% (from 27 to 48 g/person/day) which is much higher than the national average fish consumption in Bangladesh. The implementation of community-based MACH project management measures substantially improved fish habitat, production, consumption and socio-economic conditions of the surrounding communities. The model can be used to improve the floodplains of Bangladesh.

Microhabitat breadth of fish community along the Vamanapuram River, south Kerala

The microhabitat breadth of Vamanapuram River fish community was studied in detail. The microhabitat variables selected were relative depth, focal point velocity, water column depth, mean water velocity and substrate. Puntius filamentosus had the highest breadth in three dimensions in both stream and river habitats showing a generalistic mode of resource utilization. Garra mullya, Labeo dero and Glossogobius giuris are specialists in the usage of microhabitat variables in the stream habitat while these are G. mullya, Etroplus maculatus and Aplocheilus lineatus in river habitat. Danio aequipinnatus showed extreme variations along focal point velocity variable in both habitats indicating an. opportunistic behaviour.

Morphological overlap of fish community in Vamanapuram River, south Kerala

The morphological characteristics and overlap of fish community in Vamanapuram River have been studied in detail. In the 12 study sites, 19 fish species were encountered. Based on the body shape, four different types are apparent. The elongate bodied fishes (RBD<1.5) like Hemiramphus xanthopterus and Xenentodon cancila are grouped under one category. The deep bodied fishes (RBD>3.5) like Puntius filamentosus, P. ticto, P. vittatus, P. melanampyx, P. sarana, Etroplus maculatus and E. suratensis come under a separate category. Fishes with round to square cross section like Garra mullya and Glossogobius giuris form a separate group. All the other species are grouped as generalized bodied fishes. The morphological overlap studied for the Vamanapuram fish community showed that out of 190 combinations, 30 combinations have high overlaps (≥ 67). P. melanampyx has maximum number (6) of high overlaps. Puntius spp., which constituted 49.5% of the total population, have a mean morphological overlap of 52%. The morphological overlap of fish species in relation to the trophic structure is discussed in detail.

Beel fishery and livelihood of the local community in Rajdhala, Netrakona, Bangladesh

Baseline survey and Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) during January 2003 to December 2004 on the fishing community revealed that unregulated fishing, use of destructive fishing gears, poaching of fishes, difficulties encountered in enforcing fisheries regulation and the helplessness of fishers to find alternative sources of income during banned fishing period (June to October) were the major management problems. CBFM (Community Based Fisheries Management) system as an alternative management strategy has been introduced to ensure active participation of the target group-the poor fishers living around the beet who were previously deprived to get access to the beet. Establishing a leasing system for controlled access, ensuring greater user-group participation through equitable distribution of all resource benefits among members, attempting to enforce penalties for illegal fishing linked with surprise checks to enforce management regulations are some of the recent steps taken by the BMC (Beel Management Committee). Chapila fish intake by the community was 31.25 g/head/day before stocking the beel by carp fingerlings. After stocking, they consumed chapila as fish protein from 8.33 g to 20.8 g/head/day during the fishing season (November to May) indicating that due to introduction of carp fingerlings, chapila production has been decreased in 2003-2004. About 77.5% families around the beel were found to be dependent directly and/or indirectly on chapila and other indigenous fishes of the beel for their livelihood, through fishing, marketing and other activities like net and boat preparation and nets mending etc. Particularly fishers' families were found to face serious problem during non-fishing period like June to October for their livelihood. Analyzing the present research result it was also observed that other than declination in biodiversity, the fishing pressure on promising chapila of the beel was found high and that is why the production of chapila has also been decreased. To get sustainable chapila production from the heel, it is suggested to ensure successful spawning and recruitment as juveniles, and hence the chapila should be undisturbed during its breeding period from March to July, and fishing pressure on the same species needs to be reduced for obtaining sustainable fish production.

Microalgal community structure in experimental carp-pangasiid catfish polyculture ponds

Microalgal community structure in experimental carp-pangasiid catfish polyculture ponds under four different stocking rates (treatments) each with three replications in the Field Laboratory of the Faculty Fisheries, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh was studied. A total of 38 microalgal genera were identified under four major groups: 18 genera belong to Chlorophyceae, 9 to Cyanophyceae, 8 to Bacillariophyceae and 3 to Euglenophyceae. Chlorophyceae was abundant in all treatments followed by Cyanophyceae, Bacillariophyceae and Euglenophyceae throughout the study period. The cell densities of total microalgal population varied between 51.66x10^3 cells/L in June in T1 and 126.4x10^3 cells/L in August in T2. The appearance of Microcysris, Oscillatoria, Gomphospheria, Hildenbrandia, Chlorella, Scenedesmus, Cyclotella, Navicula, Nitzschia, Euglena and Phacus as dominant genera throughout the study period may related to sufficient nutrient availability, good light conditions and high growth rate of these genera. Water quality parameters of the experimental ponds were within suitable range for microalgal production and fish culture though the nutrient (nitrate-nitrogen and phosphate-phosphorus) concentrations were high. The factors involved in structuring a phytoplankton community arise from the relationship generated by physical, chemical and biological conditions especially the stocked planktivorous carps. Microalgal bloom formation is very common in pangasiid catfish monoculture ponds but in the present study bloom was not formed and the algal species diversity was found to be slightly increased with the study period. The introduction carps of carps in the experimental ponds might have helped in controlling the microalgal bloom formation and maintenance of the species diversity.

Structure of a fig wasp community: Temporal segregation of oviposition and larval diets

Observations were made on six fig wasp species on Ficus racemosa growing in the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanic Garden, Yunnan Province, China. The oviposition sequence was determined for Apocryptophagus testacea, Apocrypta sp2, Apocryptophagus mayri, Cera

Seasonal change in the structure of fig-wasp community and its implication for conservation

Figs (Moraceae) and their pollinating wasps (Agaonidae) constitute a famous reciprocal mutualism in which figs provide some female flowers for the development of fig wasp offspring while the fig wasps pollinate Fig flowers. However, figs also host many no

Game Vertebrate Densities in Hunted and Nonhunted Forest Sites in Manu National Park, Peru

Manu National Park of southern Peru is one of the most renowned protected areas in the world, yet large-bodied vertebrate surveys conducted to date have been restricted to Cocha Cashu Biological Station, a research station covering <0.06 percent of the 1.7Mha park. Manu Park is occupied by >460 settled Matsigenka Amerindians, 300-400 isolated Matsigenka, and several, little-known groups of isolated hunter-gatherers, yet the impact of these native Amazonians on game vertebrate populations within the park remains poorly understood. On the basis of 1495 km of standardized line-transect censuses, we present density and biomass estimates for 23 mammal, bird, and reptile species for seven lowland and upland forest sites in Manu Park, including Cocha Cashu. We compare these estimates between hunted and nonhunted sites within Manu Park, and with other Neotropical forest sites. Manu Park safeguards some of the most species-rich and highest biomass assemblages of arboreal and terrestrial mammals ever recorded in Neotropical forests, most likely because of its direct Andean influence and high levels of soil fertility. Relative to Barro Colorado Island, seed predators and arboreal folivores in Manu are rare, and generalist frugivores specializing on mature fruit pulp are abundant. The impact of such a qualitative shift in the vertebrate community on the dynamics of plant regeneration, and therefore, on our understanding of tropical plant ecology, must be profound. Despite a number of external threats, Manu Park continues to serve as a baseline against which other Neotropical forests can be gauged.

Fragmentation effects on diversity of wasp community and its impact on fig/fig wasp interaction in Ficus racemosa L.

Habitat fragmentation usually results in alteration of species composition or biological communities. However, little is known about the effect of habitat fragmentation on the fig/fig wasp system. In this study, we compared the structure of a fig wasp community and the interaction between figs and fig wasps of Ficus racemosa L. in a primary forest, a locally fragmented forest and a highly fragmented forest. Our results show that, in the highly fragmented forest, the proportion of pollinator wasps is lower and the proportion of non-pollinator wasps is higher compared with the primary forest and locally fragmented forest. The proportion of fruits without pollinator wasps in mature fruits is also greatly increased in the highly fragmented forest. The proportion of galls in all female flowers increases in the highly fragmented forest, whereas the proportion of viable seeds does not change considerably. The disruption of groups of fig trees results in a decrease in pollinator wasps and even might result in the extinction of pollinator wasps in some extreme cases, which may transform the reciprocal interaction between figs and fig wasps into a parasite/host system. Such an effect may lead to the local extinction of this keystone plant resource of rain forests in the process of evolution, and thereby, may change the structure and function of the tropical rain forest.

Impact of small indigenous species of fish (SIS) on livelihood of local fishing community in two upazilas of Mymensingh

The fisher folk used to catch small indigenous species of fish (SIS) from rivers, canals, wetlands and floodplains at little or no cost for their livelihood. Surplus fish was sold at the local market to generate some little capital for the households. The livelihood and consumption of SIS in fishing community of two upazilas viz. Trisal and Ishwarganj under Mymensingh district were studied for 3 months in 2004. Most of the fisher folk of the study areas belong to resource-poor section of the society living below the poverty level. Majority of them had no cultivable land. As professional fishers they face many problems during lean fishing period from January to April due to little or non-availability of fish. Majority of the fisher households consumed SIS three to four days a week. The fisher households of Trisal upazila consumed more small fish than those of Ishwargonj upazila. More than 50% respondents consumed <20 g SIS/day and 20% consumed >40 g SIS/day in Trisal upazila. On the other hand, in Ishwargonj upzila, most of the fisher households (66%) were found to consume <20 g SIS/day. SIS was mostly available from July-December in rivers, wetlands (beels), and canals, and income from fishing was reported to be good. The dominant SIS was Puntius spp., Mystus spp., Anabas testudineus, catfishes, mola, and small prawns. Non-indigenous species like tilapia was also dominant in Trisal upzila where aquaculture practices were well established.

A characterization of community fish refuge typologies in rice field fisheries ecosystems

In rural Cambodia, fish is a source of food and income to millions of people. However, there has been a real threat to fish populations in natural wetlands due to the degradation of aquatic biodiversity and habitat, illegal fishing, increase of population and demand for fish, and the use of harmful pesticides for agriculture. The Rice Field Fisheries Enhancement Project (RFFEP) seeks to rebuild and protect the fish populations through innovative methods. The project works with communities to sustainably strengthen the rice field fisheries near their villages by improving protected habitats called "community fish refuges". This handbook characterizes rice field fisheries that are connected to community fish refuges. Community fish refuges are designated fish conservation areas promoted by the Fisheries Administration of the Royal Cambodian Government. It also examines the characteristics of rain-fed rice field ecosystems that are connected to community fish refuges in order to further refine descriptive criteria and better understand potential benefits and management strategies.