Species Selectivity and Catch Composition of Different Gears in the Floodplain Areas of Gopalganj

Abstract

The present study conducted to know the species selectivity, catch composition and total catch per gear per season in the floodplain of three Upazilla of Gopalganj district from May to October, 2015. A total of 17 different fishing gears were found to be used belonging to 4 categories viz. net, hook and line, traps and wounding gear comprising of 6 types of nets, 3 types of hooks and lines, 5 types of traps and 3 types of wounding gears respectively. About 30 different fish species were identified in the catches of different fishing gears. Detail description, mode of operation, fishing time and duration, fishing season, species selectivity and catch per gear per season of different gears were determined. Considering the species composition and species selectivity of different fishing gears, seine nets (Ber jal), cast net (Jhaki jal), lift nets (Veshal Jal), traps like Ghuni, Chalon, Polo, wounding gear were recorded as non-selective gears irrespective of species or size. Gill nets viz. Punti jal, Koi jal and Kholisha jal, traps like koi dughor, Kuchiya dughor were found highly selective depending on its name. However, hooks and lines were recorded as more or less selective fishing gears. Total catch among the gears varied widely ranging from 1.12 kg to 1390 kg/gear/season where ber jal represented significantly (P < 0.05) high amount (1390 ± 103.57 kg); may be detrimental in some cases.