Impact of climate change and technologies for climate resilient inland open water fisheries

Abstract

 Climate change adversely impacts aquatic ecology and fisheries especially in the developing countries including India. This results in loss of fish diversity leading to habitat degradation which impacts income and livelihood, making the dependent fishers vulnerable. Hence, assessment of vulnerability is essential to develop appropriate adaptation and mitigation strategies. Application of vulnerability framework suggested low adaptive capacity of the fishers in the states of West Bengal, Assam and Kerala suggesting the need for adopting appropriate adaptation strategies. The identified potential climate resilient management strategies, viz. climate resilient pen system, cage culture, climate resilient culture-based fisheries, temporary pre-summer enclosure, deep pool refuge, autumn stocking, submerged branch pile refuge and floating aquatic macrophyte refuge-based fishery can be adopted by wetland fishers to cope up with adverse impact of climatic variability and associated stressors. As per the study, fish species,viz. Labeo bata, Systomus sarana, Channa punctata, Anabas testudineus, Clarias magur, Heteropneustes fossilis, Cirrhinus mrigala, Puntius sophore were identified as climate smart. Technological advances in climatic change and importance of climate resilient inland fisheries in India have been discussed and potential adaptation strategies for food and nutritional security have been suggested.