Objectives

The objective of the project is to identify national and regional R&D needs for effective utilisation of reservoirs and lakes for food fish production in participating countries (China, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Thailand), and to develop capacity amongst fisheries and extension officers in effective methods for management of reservoir fisheries.

Background

Fisheries activities in Asian reservoirs often play a significant role in the livelihoods and nutrition of rural communities. Inland fisheries production is almost always used in entirety for direct human consumption, fresh or processed and the great bulk of these fisheries are artisanal and provide livelihoods for the rural poor.

Asia has a long history of reservoir construction and currently the continent has the highest reservoir acreage in the world. Reservoirs are very rarely constructed with fisheries in mind; however the secondary use of reservoir water resources for food fish production is increasingly being seen as an important means of providing livelihoods for rural communities and displaced persons, particularly in developing countries.

Although reservoir fisheries are important to the region in food fish production and livelihood generation, there are large discrepancies in the productivities realized in different nations that cannot be explained fully on climatic, biological and or socio-economic factors. The problems are not necessarily be directly related to water management issues but may also be related to optimizing the reservoir fish production and sustainability through appropriate co-management practices, adopting appropriate stock enhancement practices, harmonizing capture fishery and aquaculture related activities and the like.

The need to increase development of inland fisheries in developing countries was a major recommendation of the Advisory Committee on Fisheries Research to the Director General of the FAO, at its sixth session, 16-20th October, 2006. The NACA Technical Advisory Committee and Governing Council similarly recommended the development of strategies to optimise reservoir fish yields, aquaculture and related activities in 2006. This project was developed as a measure to address these recommendations.

Expected Outputs

• Current status of reservoir and lake fisheries production in the Asian region analyzed.
• Immediate R & D needs for improvement of reservoir and lake fisheries identified at national and regional levels.
• An effective method(s) for data collation developed leading to the maintenance of a regional database that could be utilized for furthering effective reservoir fisheries management in the region.
• Improvement in the capacity of participating countries to manage reservoir fisheries.
• Recommendations on policy changes required to sustain and improve fish food production in reservoirs and lakes.
• A Better Practice Model for the management of reservoir fisheries in Asia developed.

Sub-projects

Ten sub-projects have been selected for implementation:

• The role of fish species introduction in reservoir fisheries in China: A case study on successful introduction of icefish in Chinese reservoirs.
• Investigation to Successful Practices of Culture Based Reservoir Fisheries in China.
• Capacity building of field staff on scientific aspects of inland fisheries development and effective data collection methods
• Exploitation of untapped fishery resources in reservoirs through proper management.
• Impact of stocking size of fingerlings on culture-based fisheries in village reservoirs and their implications on the economics of mini-nurseries.
• Strengthening and consolidation of the knowledge of reservoir and lake fisheries management for livelihood improvement of nearby communities: Documenting the 'Success Story' of the provision of alternative livelihoods to displaced fishing communities, Indrasarrobar Reservoir, Kulekhani.
• Trend analysis in catches of reservoir fisheries in Thailand.
• Evaluation of the contribution and performance of tilapia and Macrobrachium rosenbergii to the fisheries in selected reservoirs.
• An evaluation and critique of tilapia fisheries outside Africa.

Progress

• The first planning meeting for the ICEIDA-funded project Strategies for Development of Asian Reservoir and Lake Fisheries Management and Development was held 14-16 January in Bangkok. The main objective of the meeting was to identify priority activities and develop a work plan for the two-year project.
• Based on the deliberations, ten projects have been selected considering the importance of each to the proposing country as well as its degree of relevance to reservoir fisheries management and development in the region.
• Two training workshops were held on Capacity Building of Field Staff of the National Aquaculture Development Authority of Sri Lanka on Scientific Aspects of Inland Fisheries Development and Effective Data Collection Methods. The workshops were conducted for the field staff of the National Aquaculture Development Authority of Sri Lanka at the Aquaculture Development Centres in Udawalawe and Dambulla, June 2008. The report of the training workshops is available for download.

Publications

• Status of Reservoir Fisheries in Five Asian Countries.
• Role of fish species introduction in reservoir fisheries in China: Case study on icefish.

Collaborating Agencies

• Institute of Hydrobiology, China.
• Freshwater Fisheries Research Centre, China.
• Indian Council of Agricultural Research.
• Fisheries Development Board, India.
• Central Inland Fisheries Research Centre, India.
• Directorate of Fisheries Development, Nepal.
• Fisheries Research Division, Godawari, Nepal.
• Agriculture, Business Promotion and Marketing Development Directorate, Nepal.
• National Aquaculture Development Authority, Sri Lanka.
• University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka.
• Ubon Ratchathani University, Thailand.
• Coastal Aquaculture Research Institute, Department of Fisheries, Thailand.
• Lopburi Inland Fisheries Research and Development Center, Department of Fisheries, Thailand.
• Southeast Asian Fisheries Research and Development Center.
• Department of Fisheries, Thailand.
• Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific.

Funding Agency

The project is funded by a US$ 437,850 grant from the Icelandic International Development Agency (ICEIDA).

Contact

Professor Sena De Silva
Director General
Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific
PO Box 1040, Kasetsart University Post Office
Ladyao, Jatujak
Bangkok 10903
Thailand
Phone: +66 2 561 1728
Fax: +66 2 561 1727