Culture-Based Fisheries Management in Tropical Reservoirs
Summary
Culture‐based fisheries (CBF) in tropical reservoirs involve the deliberate introduction of selected aquatic species into impounded water bodies to bolster natural recruitment and enhance harvests. Reservoirs created for hydropower, irrigation or water supply often exhibit modified hydrology and nutrient dynamics, leading to shifts in fish community composition and productivity. By stocking fast‐growing or high‐value species adapted to local conditions, managers seek to optimise yield, diversify catches and support rural livelihoods. Critical components of CBF include species selection, determination of appropriate stocking densities, timing of releases in relation to reservoir water levels, and monitoring of survival, growth and recapture rates. Effective implementation requires integration with ecosystem‐based management to safeguard water quality, prevent disease outbreaks and minimise impacts on endemic biota. Community participation and adaptive governance underpin successful programmes, enabling adjustments based on ongoing assessment of population dynamics and fishing pressure. As tropical reservoirs face increasing pressures from climate variability and anthropogenic disturbance, culture‐based approaches represent a pragmatic strategy to maintain food security, generate economic benefits and preserve ecological balance.
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Culture-Based Fisheries Management in Tropical Reservoirs publication trend
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Technical terms
Culture-Based Fisheries (CBF): deliberate stocking of selected aquatic species in inland waters to supplement wild recruitment and increase harvests.
Stocking density: number of individuals introduced per unit area (hectare) or volume at the time of release.
Recapture efficiency: proportion of stocked individuals recovered in subsequent fishery catches, indicating post-stocking survival and harvest success.
References
- Appraisal of culture‐based fisheries of giant freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii, De Man, 1879) in reservoirs of Sri Lanka. Aquaculture Fish and Fisheries (2023).
- Changes in the fish community of the Kpong Headpond, lower Volta River, Ghana after 25 years of impoundment. Revista de Biología Tropical (2010).
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