Integrated fisheries and limno-ecological assessment of a medium reservoir in Central India: Implications for sustainability and the inland blue economy

Sajina A. M.; Satish Kumar Koushlesh; Tasso Tayung; M. Abul Hassan; Archan Kanti Das; Ranjan Kumar Manna; Bablu Naskar; Yousuf Ali; Basanta Kumar Das

doi:10.21077/

Authors

Sajina A. M. ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute Barrackpore Kolkata https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8640-7095
Satish K. Koushlesh ICAR- Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute
Tasso Tayung ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute
M. A. Hassan ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute
A. K. Das ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute
R. K. Manna ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute
B. Naskar ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute
Y. Ali ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute
B. K. Das ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute

https://doi.org/10.21077/

Keywords:

reservoir fisheries, limno-ecology, cooperative management, exotic species, blue economy, Central India

Abstract

Reservoirs play an important role in inland fisheries, biodiversity conservation and rural livelihoods in India. This study presents an integrated assessment of the limno-chemical characteristics, fish diversity, fishery production, management practices and livelihood contribution of Kodar Reservoir, a medium reservoir in Chhattisgarh, Central India. The study recorded 52 fish species, increasing the cumulative checklist to 60 species across 10 orders and 21 families, including 11 species not reported in earlier inventories and four exotic species. The reservoir exhibited marked seasonal variation in limno-chemical characteristics, with principal component analysis showing that the first three components explained 85.4% of the total variance. Fishery production during 2019–20 was 40.9 t, corresponding to a yield of 19.95 kg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹, with variations in catch composition and fishing activity. The fishery was supported by cooperative-based management involving stocking, mesh-size regulation and seasonal fishing restrictions. An exponential decay survival model estimated a stocking requirement of 600 Indian major carp fingerlings ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹. Fishing contributed approximately 40% of household income, complementing agriculture and other livelihood activities. The findings highlight the relationships between environmental conditions, fish assemblage and fishery performance within a cooperative management framework and provide a baseline for adaptive management of medium reservoir fisheries. Continued ecological and fishery monitoring, species specific stocking, protection of potential breeding habitats, surveillance of exotic fishes and strengthening of cooperative management could support sustainable fisheries and livelihood security.

Keywords: Cooperative management, Exponential decay survival model, Exotic species, Kodar Reservoir; Reservoir fisheries

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Author Biography

Sajina A. M., ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute Barrackpore Kolkata

Scientist Reservoir and Wetland Fisheries Division ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Barrackpore, Kolkata- 700 120

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