Impacts of the Community-Based Sanctuary Management on Fish Production in Open Water: A Case Study on the Jagannathpur Kole

Abstract

A study on the impact of community-based sanctuary management in a semi-closed water body of the giant river Padma under Kushtia district, locally called Jagannathpur Kole, was conducted from 2003 to 2004. The study mainly focused on the fish production trend, recovery of endangered fish species, and changes in the socio-economic condition of the fishers' community of the Kole. Conclusions were drawn based on four years of catch data, showing the increasing or decreasing trends of fish production along with changes in the recovery of endangered fish species. Required data were collected through random sampling and the Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) approach. The results showed that the fish production trend increased after the establishment of the sanctuary in the Kole. The total catch became more than double in 2004 compared with the baseline production in 2001. In 2001 and 2002, total fish production was 69,320 kg and 64,811 kg, respectively. After the establishment of the sanctuary in the Kole in 2002, total production was found to be 94,562 kg and 148,920 kg in 2003 and 2004, respectively. The results also showed that the production of some species, such as Air (Mystus aor), Boal (Wallago attu), Chital (Notopterus chitala), Beley (Glossogobius giuris), Piali (Aspidoparia morar), and Bata (Cirrhina reba), had diminished abruptly before the establishment of the sanctuary. The production of these species increased remarkably after the establishment of the sanctuary. The catch trends of Kajoli (Ailichthys punctata), Pabda (Ompok pabda), and Bata (Cirrhina reba) indicated that these species were disappearing before the establishment of the sanctuary and reappeared after its establishment in the Kole. The other three species, Rita, Kawnia, and Keski, showed zero catch even after the establishment of the sanctuary, indicating no sign of recovery in the near future. Although some species, such as Punti (Puntius spp.), Chingri (Palaemon spp.), Chanda (Chanda spp.), and Bain (Mastacembelus pancalus), were reduced to some extent after the establishment of the sanctuary, this might have occurred due to an increase in predatory species such as Air, Boal, and Chital. The management of the sanctuary in the Kole was good enough through the community organization developed for this purpose. It can be concluded that strong management support is needed for the success of a fish sanctuary. For effective management, it is necessary to involve the local community, especially fishers, with appropriate sustainable institutional arrangements. Thus, a fish sanctuary is one of the most effective tools for open-water management to enhance fish production.