8 YEARS OF FISHERIES IN CPP Experiences and lessons learned in CPP and Reflections on Inland Fisheries in Bangladesh by Gertjan de Graaf Fisheries advisor CPP

MAIN OBJECTIVE OF THE FISHERIES PROGRAMME OF CPP Estimate the impact of CPP interventions on fisheriesEstimate the impact of CPP interventions on fisheries Minimize negative impacts through adapted designs, construction and water managementMinimize negative impacts through adapted designs, construction and water management Mitigate eventual negative impactsMitigate eventual negative impacts

THE FISHERIES PROGRAMME OF CPP FOCUSSED ON TWO LINES Studies on fisheriesStudies on fisheries Mitigation of negative impacts through aquaculture extensionMitigation of negative impacts through aquaculture extension the second activity as it was a general belief that interventions of CPP would have a negative impact on fisheries

FISHERIES STUDIES OF CPP Estimation of total catch before and after CPPEstimation of total catch before and after CPP Migration of riverine hatchlings and design of fish friendly regulatorsMigration of riverine hatchlings and design of fish friendly regulators Reproductive strategies of Beel resident fish species and their impact on water managementReproductive strategies of Beel resident fish species and their impact on water management Development of predictive tools for fisheries and water managementDevelopment of predictive tools for fisheries and water management

ESTIMATION OF THE TOTAL FISH CATCH IN THE CPP PROJECT AREA Traditional fisheries monitoring: Follows the number of fishermen or estimates Fishing EffortFollows the number of fishermen or estimates Fishing Effort Estimate the catch of the fishermen or Catch per Unit of Effort (CPUE)Estimate the catch of the fishermen or Catch per Unit of Effort (CPUE) Total catch = Fishing Effort x CPUETotal catch = Fishing Effort x CPUE

HOWEVER THIS TRADITIONAL METHOD IS DIFFICULT TO APPLY IN FLOODPLAIN FISHERIES 60-70% of the rural population is sometimes fishing60-70% of the rural population is sometimes fishing Statistically it is difficult to estimate this Fishing EffortStatistically it is difficult to estimate this Fishing Effort

A NEW METHOD HABITAT FISHERIES MONITORING Monitoring of representative fishing AreasMonitoring of representative fishing Areas How to select the areas ?How to select the areas ?

What is representative for a fishing area ? Depth of Water ?Depth of Water ? Duration of Flooding ?Duration of Flooding ? Beels ?Beels ? Perennial Beels ?Perennial Beels ? Seasonal Beels ?Seasonal Beels ? Lets have a closer look at the floodplain

A Beel or Floodplain has no depth MAYSEPTEMBER WHICH DEPTH OR LOCATION DO WE SELECT ?

VERY CLEAR CRITERIA ARE NEEDED criteria which can be quantifiedcriteria which can be quantified can be replicatedcan be replicated are valid and can be used all over Bangladeshare valid and can be used all over Bangladesh are simple and practicalare simple and practical

ONLY THE MPO LAND TYPE CLASSIFICATION FITS THE CRITERIA  The classification is precisely defined F3Water depth of 180 cm or more F cm F cm F030-0 cm  The Land types have a fixed position, related to the risks of flooding  They only change due to water management interventions  They only change due to water management interventions when the risks are changed

CPP FISHERIES MONITORING SITES We selected fixed areas representative for F3 Land types F2 Land Types Khals Lohajang River

MONITORING SITES FOR LANDTYPES IN CPP F3 SitesF2 Sites IN EACH SITE WE CARRIED OUT A TRADITIONAL FISHERIES MONITORING PROGRAMME

Catch = Catch per Unit of Area x Total area THE TOTAL FLOODED AREA FOR EACH LAND TYPE WAS DETERMINED WITH GIS

DRY YEARS WET YEARS THE RESULTS OVERALL FISH CATCH OVER THE LAST 8 YEARS AVERAGE MONTHLY WATER LEVEL F3 FISH CATCH F2 FISH CATCH

MAJOR CONCLUSIONS FOR CPP The fish catch in CPP is highly variable with an average 300 mt/yearThe fish catch in CPP is highly variable with an average 300 mt/year No significant trends in fish catch before or after CPPNo significant trends in fish catch before or after CPP F2 lands are the most important fishing areas in terms of total catchF2 lands are the most important fishing areas in terms of total catch

EVERYBODY EXPECTED A DECLINE IN FISH CATCH WHY IS THERE NO DIFFERENCE BEFORE AND AFTER CPP ? THERE IS NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN THE AVERAGE FLOODED AREA BEFORE OR AFTER CPP

September 1992

September 1993

September 1994

September 1995

September 1996

September 1997

September 1998

THIS AS CPP APPLIES “CONTROLLED FLOODING ” Only peak water levels are controlled Statistically no differences can be found on flooded areas during the monsoon

The fundamental difference between Agriculture and Fisheries The farmers are working with “risks” Taking away the risk of a four days extreme water level will change agriculture crop types usedThe farmers are working with “risks” Taking away the risk of a four days extreme water level will change agriculture crop types used Fish production is determined by monthly flooded area, a number of days with extreme water levels does not have a significant impactFish production is determined by monthly flooded area, a number of days with extreme water levels does not have a significant impact

THE “ADDED VALUE” OF THE CPP EXPERIENCE FOR THE WHOLE OF BANGLADESH WHAT IS THE VALUE OF FISHERIES NOW WE HAVE A LONG TERM RELIABLE DATA SET F3 land 160 kg/ha/year or a Net benefit of Tk/ha/season F2 Lands 85 kg/ha/year or a Net benefit of 5600 Tk/ha/seasonF2 Lands 85 kg/ha/year or a Net benefit of 5600 Tk/ha/season

Agriculture and Fisheries Tk/ha/crop

POVERTY AND DISTRIBUTION OF AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES BENEFITS

FINAL CONCLUSIONS Controlled Flooding is a much better option for fisheries then Complete Flood Control In the time of “rice self sufficiency” in Bangladesh the agriculture development policy could need some “re-thinking”

MECHANISMS BEHIND FLOODPLAIN FISHERIES CPP collected 8 years data on floodplain fisheriesCPP collected 8 years data on floodplain fisheries This allows for a profound statistical analysis This allows for a profound statistical analysis Questions 1:What are the driving forces behind floodplain fisheriesQuestions 1:What are the driving forces behind floodplain fisheries Question 2: How do they impact managementQuestion 2: How do they impact management

THE PRINCIPAL COMPONENTS OF FISHERIES HABITATFISHERMEN FISH THEY ARE LINKED TO EACH OTHER

THE THREE COMPONENTS IN CPP FISHERIES FISH: Fish stocks or abundance of fishFISH: Fish stocks or abundance of fish HABITAT: water level or floodingHABITAT: water level or flooding FISHERMEN: fishing effortFISHERMEN: fishing effort Fish catch is highly variable

WHY IS THE CATCH SO VARIABLE ? FISH CATCH Fish abundance or CPUE Fishing effort Extent of flooding or Water level WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF EACH VARIABLE ON THE FISH CATCH

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS-ANOVA 74% of the seasonal and inter annual variance in observed yields can be explained by changes in fishing effort74% of the seasonal and inter annual variance in observed yields can be explained by changes in fishing effort 15% can be explained in changes in CPUE15% can be explained in changes in CPUE 11% can be explained by changes in Water level11% can be explained by changes in Water level

Multi linear regression with Effort, CPUE and Water level FISH CATCH =A*FISH ABUNDANCE + B*FISHING EFFORT+C* FLOOD

CONCLUSIONS The major driving force in floodplain fisheries in CPP and most likely also in the rest of Bangladesh is the fishing effort or the number of fishermen

CONSEQUENCES FOR MANAGEMENT management which does not include fishing effort is doomed to fail. The impact of over-exploitation of fish stocks is under estimated in Bangladesh

AN OFTEN HEARD STORY When I was young there was plenty of fish in the Beel When I went fishing with my father we caught plenty of Boal in one dayWhen I went fishing with my father we caught plenty of Boal in one day Remember when you were young it was 1965, with 65 million people in BangladeshRemember when you were young it was 1965, with 65 million people in Bangladesh Now we are with 110 million, with half of them fishingNow we are with 110 million, with half of them fishing

AN EXAMPLE OF THE CONSEQUENCES Species composition was followed over the years in the CPP areaSpecies composition was followed over the years in the CPP area In one Beel, Garinda Beel we saw dramatic changesIn one Beel, Garinda Beel we saw dramatic changes WHY ?

GARINDA BEEL COMPLETELY COLLAPSED GOTOKBARI BEEL REMAINED OK Beel fish is replaced by prawns Species composition did not change GARINDAGOTOKBARI

WHY DID GARINDA BEEL COLLAPSE Dry season area in Garinda decreased rapidly Fishing effort during the dry season increased rapidly in Garinda

CONSEQUENCES FOR MANAGEMENT The dry season area of the water bodies is as important as the total flooded area during the monsoonThe dry season area of the water bodies is as important as the total flooded area during the monsoon No reproduction --> No fish in the monsoonNo reproduction --> No fish in the monsoon This is an important aspect for developments of surface water irrigation of the Borro in the dry seasonThis is an important aspect for developments of surface water irrigation of the Borro in the dry season

LET’S LOOK AT THE CONSEQUENCES OF FISHING EFFORT ON THE WHOLE OF BANGLADESH Data from different projects Chandpur Irrigation projectChandpur Irrigation project CPP projectCPP project FAP 17FAP 17 International data on tropical inland fisheriesInternational data on tropical inland fisheries Khulna Jessore Drainage Rehabilitation ProjectKhulna Jessore Drainage Rehabilitation Project

MECHANISMS AND FUTURE PROSPECTS, A PESSIMISTIC VIEW In over exploited floodplains slow growing, late maturing species are replaced by quick growing fast maturing species. A shift from Major carps to Beel resident species occurs If recruitment of Beel residents is hampered or if fishing effort is too high in the dry season a further shift from Beel residents towards small prawns occurs If floodplain is completely cut off the final shift towards prawns and Snakeheads or Catfish occurs

SUCCESSIVE STAGES OF BIO DIVERSITY AND WATER MANAGEMENT CARPS DISAPPEARS BEEL FISH DISAPPEARS PRAWNS & CATFISH REMAIN

FINAL CONCLUSION for INLAND FISHERIES

Habitat restoration, fish sanctuaries, fish passes, excavation of khals, participatory management, etc, the main actions of fisheries management at present, certainly improves the situation for fisheries.Habitat restoration, fish sanctuaries, fish passes, excavation of khals, participatory management, etc, the main actions of fisheries management at present, certainly improves the situation for fisheries. However, avoiding the main issue, FISHING EFFORT, will lead to the situation that “Mache Bathe Bengali” becomes history and “Dal Bathe Bengali” becomes realityHowever, avoiding the main issue, FISHING EFFORT, will lead to the situation that “Mache Bathe Bengali” becomes history and “Dal Bathe Bengali” becomes reality

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION