Turkish Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
2008, Vol 8, Num, 2 (Pages: 329-334)
Assessment of Fishing Practices on the Exploitation of the Titas Floodplain in Brahmanbaria, Bangladesh
M. Sagir Ahmed 1
1 University of Dhaka, Department of Zoology, Laboratory of Aquatic Resource Management, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh
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Floodplain fishery plays an important role in the economy of the country and the livelihoods of the people living
adjacent to those floodplains. There has been indication of declining fisheries stocks that needs closer examination.
Consequently, a survey was conducted in the Titas floodplain (Nabinagor-Bokdhor-Urkhulia) to identify the gears, catch per
unit effort (CPUE), catch composition, species diversity and production during monsoon, from July to November (two
flooding seasons). A total of 35 different types of gears of seven categories were identified. The monthly average number of
different gears operated varied from 501 (seine net) to 40 (push net). The highest number of gears operated in September
2003 (1491 gears) and the lowest in November 2002 (455 gears). Fishing effort of seine net, gill net and set bag nets in two
flooding seasons were 0.0223, 0.0230, 0.0028 and 0.0216, 0.0233, 0.0036 gears/ha/day, respectively. The set bag net had the
highest CPUE (15.41 kg/ha/day) followed by seine net (7.04 kg/ha/day) and gill net (4.85 kg/ha/day). Average CPUE of
combined gears in 2002 and 2003 were 4.93 and 4.81 kg/gear/day, respectively and the estimated production of the
floodplain was 44 kg/ha/year. In combined catch, more than 20% fish were Cypriniformes (carps) including Puntius sophore,
P. sarana, Labeo rohita and Cirrhinus mrigala, 15% catfish (Wallago attu, Mystus aor, M. cavasius, etc.), 13% pearch, 6%
eels and the rest 46% were small and medium size fish and prawns. The fishing effort, CPUE and yields did not show any
indication on the overexploitation of the resources.
Keywords :
Floodplain fisheries, fishing effort, gears, species composition, Titas river