Abstract :
A total number of 88 species (78 fishes, 4 prawns, 1 crab, 1 snail and 4 reptiles) were
identified from the Shuthi-Shaiduli River and its flood plains. About 10 types of operative fishing
gear and craft were found in the river. Increasing rates of using current jaal (23.00-30.10%) and
Kapuri jaal (17.60-20.90%) were identified as detrimental gear used to kill the different species
during four years. A common increasing trend of using current jaal, Kapuri jaal (seine net) and FAD
(fish aggregating device) were identified as detrimental gear killing different species between 2016
and 2019. The fish productivity decreased dramatically from 139.32±7.77 to 114.00±3.88 mt within
four years and the total production percentage (%) also sharply decreased from 7.97% to 18.17% over
the same period. As a result, commercially important 5 aquatic species namely nandina (Labeo
nandina), olive barb (Puntius sarana), gazar (Channa marulius) and reptiles (Lissemys punctata and
Kachuga tecta) were extinct, 17 commercially important aquatic species were at the edge of
extinction (critically endangered, CR), 6 species endangered (EN), 25 species vulnerable status
(VU), three species were identified as at lower risk (LR) and only two species of the river were not
threatened (NT) in position between 2016 and 2019 in the river.
Keyword :
Aquatic fauna, Biodiversity, Extinct, Endangered, Illegal fishing.