Economics of Fisheries: Ecology and Fisheries of Oxbow Lakes

The floodplains of Ganga and Brahmaputra river basins are dotted with a mosaic of wetlands locally known as Mauns, Beels, Chaurs, Tal or Jheels. These natural lakes are one of the prime fisheries resources with significant socio-economic overtones besides the repository of aquatic bio-diversity. In addition to these they are one of the finest refuge of avian fauna, both resident and migratory. The Gandak basin in Bihar has a chain of Ox-bow lakes originated owing to frequent mindering of rivers. These water bodies support a large section of the human society by providing potable water, irrigation water, fisheries and so on. The Ox-bow lakes by virtue of their reverine origin had a renewable source of fisheries till recently. In the face of increased anthropogenic activities, however, the lakes have lost their originality and have been subjected to stresses of various dimensions. Over-exploitation of biotic resources, indiscriminate land use patterns and continuous disposal of waste materials have become the hallmark to these lakes. Evidently, the Oxbow lakes of Bihar are passing through a critical phase of ecological transition where in fish and fisheries are the worst causality. Increased silt and nutrients loading has assumed a serious dimension leading to thick stands of macrophytes, a typical example of the advanced stage of eutrophication. The lakes are in fact reeling under a severe threat of total elimination and need conservation measures, immediately. However, to protect the biodiversity or to achieve fish yield on sustainable basis, scientific management has become imminent. A modest effort has been made in this book to highlight the present state-of-art of ecology, biodiversity and fisheries of Oxbow lakes of Bihar, which hitherto remain neglected till date. It also contains guidelines for the holistic management of fisheries and conservation of the biodiversity.