Impact Of Fish Sanctuary On Fish Production And Biodiversity Conservation: A Case Study In Grater Khulna Region

Abstract

Fisheries production has experienced a significant decline of during last four decades due to manmade and natural causes such as over fishing, destructive fishing, loss and destruction of fish habitats, poor policy, planning and management etc. As a result fish production, biodiversity and fishing community have been affected. Government has taken different measures for protection, conservation and management of the fisheries resources for sustainable production. Of them fish sanctuary has been considered as an important tool. A study was conducted on the impact of the community based sanctuary management in greater Khulna region from September, 2007 to June 2008. The study mainly focused on the change of yearly fish catch or production indicating the status of stock biomass in the sanctuary before and after the sanctuary establishment and also showing the increasing or decreasing trend of fish production along with any change of recovery of endangered fish species and the socio-economic condition of the fisher's community living in and around the sanctuary. The result shows that the total catch has become more than double to five times higher than the base line production. The result also shows that production of air, boal, chital, baily, rani, kajli, shing, pabda, piali etc. remarkably increased after the sanctuary establishment. Some other species like puti, chingri, chanda, bairn and many other small species in different area reduced to some extent after the sanctuary management It might happen due to increase of predatory species like air, boal, pungus and chital after the sanctuary. From this survey one thing is clear that a strong management support is needed to obtain full potential and achieve success from a sanctuary. For strong management the local community especially fishers should be involved in sanctuary management with required sustainable institutional arrangements. It can be concluded that fish sanctuary is one of the most effective tool for open water management to boost up its production.