Fish and Shellfish Diversity of Malam Beel, Bangladesh: Status, Trends, and Management Strategies

Fish and Shellfish Diversity of Malam Beel, Bangladesh: Status, Trends, and Management Strategies

Most of the waterbodies in Bangladesh's north-eastern haor basin have seen a gradual decline in their biodiversity, but little study has been done to determine their current condition. To address this issue, this research was conducted in the Malam beel under the Hakaluki haor – one of the largest wetland resources of the country. The study was conducted using a pre-tested questionnaire and a direct catch assessment survey in the beel. From 11 orders and 32 families, a total of 69 fish and shellfish species were identified. Of the species documented, 15.94% were classified as abundant, 39.13% were common, 27.54% were moderately available, and 17.39% were rare. Among the orders, Cypriniformes accounted for 37.68% of the total fish recorded. The most prevalent family was Cyprinidae found in Malam beel. Based on the findings, it can be concluded that Malam beel is a highly valuable inland open water body that has the potential to function as a key source of fishery resources as well as a gene bank for various fish species. However, some manmade and natural threats such as fishing by dewatering, brush pile fishing, illegal/destructive fishing and siltation were identified during the present study. Therefore, to ensure the sustainable maintenance of these water bodies, ecosystem-based fisheries management involving the local community is strongly advised.

___

  • Aziz, M. S. B. Hasan, N. A. Mondol, M. M. R. Alam, M. M. & Haque, M.M. (2021). Decline in fish species diversity due to climatic and anthropogenic factors in Hakaluki Haor, an ecologically critical wetland in northeast Bangladesh. Heliyon, 7(1), e05861. google scholar
  • Banglapedia, National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh, 1st edition February, 2004. Dhaka, Bangladesh. Available from URL: www.banglapedia.org.. google scholar
  • Chakraborty, B. K. (2011). Present status of biodiversity in Bogajan Beel in Northern Bangladesh. J. Fish. Soc. Taiwan, 38(4), 277-300. google scholar
  • Craig, J.F. Halls, A.S. Barr, J.J.F& Bean, C.W. (2004). The Bangladesh floodplain fisheries. Fisheries Research, 66(2-3): 271-286. https://doi. org/10.1016/S0165-7836(03)00196-6 google scholar
  • Das, S. R., Pandit, D., Harun-Al-Rashid, A., Tasnim, N., & Kunda, M. (2022). Impacts of brush pile fishing on fish biodiversity: A case study of the Shari-Goyain River in Bangladesh. Heliyon, 8(7), e09903. google scholar
  • Debnath, P., Hussain, M. A., & Nasren, S. (2020). Fish diversity of Halir Haor, Sunamganj, Bangladesh: A checklist. International Journal of Natural and Social Sciences, 7(4), 73-80. google scholar
  • DoF 2018: National Fish Week 2018 Compendium (in Bengali). Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, Bangladesh. google scholar
  • FAO. 2012. The state of world fisheries and aquaculture.Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy; 2012 google scholar
  • FAO 2022: Bangladesh, Text by Gias UA. Fisheries and Aquaculture Division, Rome. google scholar
  • Hanif, M. A. Siddik, M. A. B. Chaklader, M. R. Mahmud, S. Nahar, A. Haque, M. S. & Munilkumar, S. (2015). Biodiversity and conservation of threatened freshwater fishes in Sandha River, South West Bangladesh. World Applied Sciences Journal, 33(9), 1497-1510. google scholar
  • Hossain, M. Y., Rahman, M. M., Ali, M. M., Hossen, M. A., Nawer, F., Bahkali, A. H., ... & Ahmed, Z. F. (2016). Check list of fish species availability in Rupsha River, Bangladesh: Threat identification and recommendation for sustainable management. google scholar
  • Iqbal, M. M. Nasren, S. H. A. M. I. M. A. Mamun, M. A. A. & Hossain, M. M. (2015). Fish assemblage including threatened species in google scholar
  • Hakaluki Haor, Sylhet Bangladesh. Journal of agriculture in the topics, 30, 233- 246. google scholar
  • Islam, M. J. & Sultana, M. A. (2016). Fishing gears used by the fishermen in wetlands of Chhatak, Sunamganj and sustainable utilization of fishery resources. International Journal of Natural Sciences, 6(2). google scholar
  • Islam, M.R. Kunda, M. Pandit, D. & Harun-Al-Rashid, A. (2019). Assessment of the ichthyofaunal diversity in the Juri River of Sylhet district, Bangladesh. Archives of Agriculture and Environmental Science, 4(4): 488-496. google scholar
  • IUCN. The international union for conservation of nature’s red list of threatened species. Version 2017-1. google scholar
  • IUCN Bangladesh. 2015. Red List of Bangladesh Volume 5: Freshwater Fishes. IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Bangladesh Country Office, Dhaka, Bangladesh, pp xvi+360 google scholar
  • Kamal, M. A. H. M. Kawsar, M. A. Pandit, D. Kunda, M. Tabassum, K. & Alam, M. T. (2022). Fish Biodiversity at Kawadighi Haor of Northeastern Bangladesh: Addressing Fish Diversity, Production and Conservation Status. Aquatic Sciences and Engineering, 37(3). google scholar
  • Khan, M. A. R. Ali, M. M. Salam, M. A. Kunda, M. & Pandit, D. (2018). Impact of fish sanctuary on fish biodiversity and livelihoods of fishermen in Kolavanga Beel of Bangladesh. World Journal of Fish and Marine Sciences, 10(5), 46-54. google scholar
  • Kunda, M. Ray, D. Pandit, D. & Harun-Al-Rashid, A. (2022). Establishment of a fish sanctuary for conserving indigenous fishes in the largest freshwater swamp forest of Bangladesh: A community-based management approach. Heliyon, 8(5), e09498. google scholar
  • Kundu, G. K. Islam, M. M. Hasan, M. F. Saha, S. Mondal, G. Paul, B. & Mustafa, M. G. (2020). Patterns of fish community composition and biodiversity in riverine fish sanctuaries in Bangladesh: Implications for hilsa shad conservation. Ecology of Freshwater Fish, 29(2), 364-376. google scholar
  • Mondol, M. M. R., Hossain, M. Y., & Rahman, M. M. (2015). Check-list of Fish availability in the Karatoya River, Bangladesh. World Journal of Zoology, 10(1), 17-21. google scholar
  • Nelson, J.S. (2006). Fishes of the World, fourth ed. John Wiley & Sons, p. 601. google scholar
  • Pandit, D., Kunda, M., Ray, D., & Rashid, A. H. A. (2020). Availability and diversity of fish fauna in the Gurukchi River of Sylhet district in Bangladesh. Journal of Sylhet Agricultural University, 7(1), 1-14. google scholar
  • Pandit, D. Saha, S. Kunda, M. & Harun-Al-Rashid, A. (2021). Indigenous freshwater ichthyofauna in the Dhanu River and surrounding wetlands of Bangladesh: species diversity, availability, and conservation perspectives. Conservation, 1(3), 241-257. google scholar
  • Pandit, D. Shefat, S.H.T. & Kunda, M. (2023). Fish diversity decline threatens small-scale fisheries in the haor basin of Bangladesh. In: Islam, M. M. (ed.), Small in scale, big in contributions: Advancing knowledge of small-scale fisheries in Bangladesh. TBTI Global Publication Series. St. John’s, NL, Canada. google scholar
  • Parveen, S. & Faisal, I.M. (2002). People versus power: The Geopolitics of Kaptai Dam in Bangladesh. International Journal of Water Resources Development, 18:197-208, https://doi.org/10.1080/0790062 google scholar
  • Rahman, M. A. Khamari, A. Mandal, B. Ullah, M. R. Hossen, M. B. Alam, M.A. & Saha, N. (2019). Assessment of Fish Biodiversity in Basuakhali Beel under Terokhada Upazilla, Khulna, Bangladesh. Asian Journal of Research in Biosciences, 55-64. google scholar
  • Rahman, M. A. Mandal, B. Khamari, A. Ullah, M. R. Sazedul, M. Hoque, M. & Chakma, S. (2019). Ichthyofaunal diversity of Basurabad Beel in regards with threat factors and conservation measures, Bangladesh. Archives of Agriculture and Environmental Science, 4(4), 478-487. google scholar
  • Rahman, A. K. A. 2005. Freshwater fishes of Bangladesh. 2nd ed. Zoological Society of Bangladesh, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh, 263 P. google scholar
  • Siddique, M. A. B. Hussain, M. A. Flowra, F. A. & Alam, M. M. (2016). Assessment of fish fauna in relation to biodiversity indices of Chalan Beel, Bangladesh. International Journal of Aquatic Biology, 4(5), 345-352. google scholar
  • Shamsuzzaman, M. M., Islam, M. M., Tania, N. J., Al-Mamun, M. A., Barman, P. P., & Xu, X. (2017). Fisheries resources of Bangladesh: Present status and future direction. Aquaculture and Fisheries, 2(4), 145-156. google scholar
  • Sultana, M. A. Kunda, M. & Mazumder, S. K. (2019). Status and decline causes of fish diversity of Bhawal beel, Bangladesh. Malaysian Journal of Medical and Biological Research, 6(2), 93-100. google scholar
  • Sultana, M. A. Mazumder, S. K. & Kunda, M. (2016). Fishing gears and crafts used in Payra River, Bangladesh. European Journal of Applied Sciences, 8(6), 337-346. google scholar
  • Sultana, M. A. Mazumder, S. K. & Kunda, M. (2018). Diversity of fish fauna and fishing gears used in the River Banar, Mymensingh, Bangladesh. Bangladesh Journal of Fisheries, 30(2), 229-240. google scholar
  • Sultana, M. A. Pandit, D. Barman, S. K. Tikadar, K. K. Tasnim, N., Fagun, I. A. & Kunda, M. (2022). A review of fish diversity, decline drivers, and management of the Tanguar Haor ecosystem: A globally recognized Ramsar site in Bangladesh. Heliyon, e11875. google scholar
  • Talukder, M. R. Hussain, M. A. Kunda, M. Rashid, A. H. A. Pandit, D. & Sumon, T. A. (2021). Checklist of fish species in the Shari-Goyain River, Bangladesh: threats and conservation measures. google scholar
  • Tasnim, N. Sultana, M. A. Tabassum, K. Islam, M. J. & Kunda, M. (2022). A review of the water quality indices of riverine ecosystem, Bangladesh. Archives of Agriculture and Environmental Science, 7(1), 104-113. google scholar
  • Talwar, P. K. and A. G. Jhingran. (1991). Inland fishes of India and adjacent countries. Vol. 2. CRC Press, Rotterdam, Netherlands. google scholar