Author(s): Md. Faisal Imran, AHM Shafiullah Habib and Md. Nuralam Hossain

Abstract: Wetlands in Bangladesh have undergone rapid degradation, primarily attributable to a range of factors. These factors include a marked increase in population, extensive water diversion for irrigation purposes, depletion of swamp forests, as well as other natural and anthropogenic causes. Hakaluki Haor is a vast wetland area located at North East in Bangladesh provides habitat for a diverse range of fish species. Due to natural and anthropogenic causes, fish species are declining in the Hakaluki Hoar. Fish species are declining primarily due to the utilization of harmful gear, the drying of beels every year, and overexploitation. The aim of the research was to assess the occurrence of various fish species in different seasons, their distribution, and conservation status. The research was carried out over the course of three seasons (summer, autumn, and winter) spanning from September 2017 to August 2018. The study utilized a mixed methodology approach to investigate the fish assemblage, which included examining the fish catch on boats along with the fish available in the nearest assembling center (fish market). In addition, the Shannon-Weaver index was followed to recognize the species diversity (H), richness (D), and Evenness (e). The research documented the presence of 64 fish species that were classified into 25 different genera, and 24 families across 10 orders. The order Cypriniformes was the most prevalent, constituting 42% of the total number of species identified. Other orders such as Siluriformes (22%), Perciformes (16%), Channiformes (6%), and Clupeiformes (5%) also demonstrated a considerable variety of fish species, although Cypriniformes had the highest dominance with 42% of the total species documented. Additionally, the research determined that among the complete assemblage of fish species identified, a total of 14 (18.88%) were classified as species facing threats. Based on the analysis, 6.25% are vulnerable, 12.5% endangered, and 3.12% are critically endangered as per IUCN Redlist. The research observed the Shannon-Weaver diversity (H), richness (D), and evenness (e) values for the fish species, which were found to be 2.47, 6.28, and 0.65, respectively. Moreover, participants retorted that the present income from fishing had decreased as compared to five years ago. The research finds that anthropogenic pressure is one of the key reasons to fish decline at Hakaluki Haor. According to the findings of the current research, community-based wetland conservation and management have been proposed as a viable and sustainable strategy for augmenting the fish species abundance.

DOI: 10.22271/fish.2023.v11.i3a.2803

Pages: 17-27  |  373 Views  171 Downloads

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