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Juvenile fishery of Goniolasa manmina in

Hirkud reservoir, India: relevance of
seasonal subsistence fishery in the
riparian livelihoods

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J Inland Fish. Soc. India, 46 (I) : 87-91,2014

SHORT COMMUNICATION

JUVENILE FISHERY OF GONIALOSA MANMINA IN HIRAKUD

RESERVOIR, INDIA: RELEVANCE OF SEASONAL SUBSISTENCE
FISHERY IN THE RIPARIAN LIVELIHOODS

(Received: 08.03.2014; Accepted: 11.05.2014)

Many species of prolific breeding fishes support market (FAO, 2005-2014). Pure subsistence
massive biomass of juveniles during and just after fisheries are rare as part of the products are often
their peak breeding season. This kind of huge sold or exchanged for other goods or services. In
standing stock at a particular season facilitate small this case, the fishers used a good part of catch for
scale artisanal or subsistence fisheries specifically feeding themselves and family and a portion of the
targeting these stocks, which extent for very short
catch was sold to the local fish vendors.
duration. In inland aquatic systems like reservoirs
and streams with riparian fisher folk, the
Hirakud reservoir
opportunity to exploit the juvenile population is high
depending upon the approachability of the water
Hirakud Dam built on Mahanadi River is the
bodies and livelihood options of the riparian fishers.
In case the situation is similar to the well-known longest dam in India with 4.8 km main dam and a
adage 'the fishery is the activity oflast resort', the total length of25.8 km with dam and dykes taken
probability for such small scale juvenile fishery to together. The dam is about 15 km upstream of
exist is very high. Many a times, small scale seasonal Sambalpurtown in State of Oris sa and was the
fisheries go unnoticed and their relevance and first post independence major multipurpose river
contribution to the livelihoods of riparian population valley project in India. Hirakud reservoir harbours
is undermined, especially in the remote inland water a rich ichthyofaunal diversity along with abundance
bodies such as reservoirs. Such sort of intense representing its parent river, the Mahanadi. The
but very seasonal targeted fishing activity was lucrative commercial fishery existing in the reservoir
observed in Hirakud reservoir situated in the state was studied by many (Sulochanan et al., 1958;
of Oris sa in north eastern India. Khan et al., 1992; Yadava and Sugunan, 1992;
Sugunan, 1995). The diversity of fishes in the
Though the fishery was mentioned as subsistence
reservoir mainly comprised carps, catfishes,
fishery in the title, it was difficult to categorise the
murrels, featherbacks, and prawns (Sugunan,
fishery as defining distinctive characteristics for
1995). The reservoir has entered the stage of stable
subsistence, artisanal and traditional small-scale
productivity, with massive water spread, high shore
fishers is inevitably faced with overlapping and
development index and high productivity potential.
shifting nature of these fisheries (Sunde and
Pederson, 2007). In subsistence fishery, the fish Interestingly, a very seasonal fishery targeting the
caught are shared and consumed directly by the juveniles of Gonialosa manmina was observed
families and kin ofthe fishers rather than being in the Hirakud Reservoir, during the initiation
bought by intermediaries and sold at the next larger period of monsoon in the region.

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 SAJIN A et al.

Gonialosa manmina typical clupeid traits, such as high fecundity, and

high production rate along with the availability of
G manmina is a small clupeid species abundantly food resources and nutrient rich water of the
seen in Ganga and hence commonly called as reservoir in the season result in huge and abundant
Ganges River gizzard shad. Jayaram and juvenile population of the species in the reservoir.
Majumdar (1976) and Talwar and Jhingran (1991) The water level in the reservoir does not increase
had reported the species in River Mahanadi. It is to a greater extent in this period as the rain is not
not listed in the earlier works on ichthyofaunal intensive. The low water level facilitates the fishers
diversity ofHirakud Reservoir, notably due to its to use indigenous gears from the banks as well as
highly seasonal abundance. using small canoes in the shallow waters to catch
the juveniles.
It is a widespread species of rich abundance in
Indian inland waters which has a least concern The seasonal fishery occurs during June- July for
status (Chaudhry, 2010).The species has been duration of about two months in the peripheries of
recorded from many Indian rivers, estuaries and the Hirakud reservoir bordering fishing villages. It
reservoirs (Talwar and Jingran, 1991; Jayaram, is very prevalent in the areas near to the Bargarh
1999; Menon, 1999; Nagulu et al., 2000; canal (located 21 ° 29.978'N; 83° 47.404' E), a
Mohanty et al., 2008; Vyas et aI., 2009; Montana main canal distributing the reservoir water for
et al., 2011; Das and Bordoloi, 2012; Sarkar et irrigation. The fishing operation is mainly carried
aI., 2012; Vyas et al., 2012; Goswammi et al., out in morning hours, during 4 to 7 AM, and if the
2012; Bakalial et al., 2014). It grows to a day is not sunny, fisher folk continue fishing during
maximumsizeof14.1 cm (Rahman, 1989)andis day hours.
commonly available in less than 10 cm total length.
Azadi and Rahman (2008) studied the reproductive Fishing gear
biology of this species from Kaptai Lake,
Bangladesh and were found to spawn once in a Two types of indigenous fishing gears are employed
year from February to July. In the same reservoir, in this fishery. They are locally called as 'Khadi
the most preferred food items of G manmina were jaal' and' Chhina jaal' (Fig. 1). The khadi jaal
observed to be cladocerans and copepods (Azadi is a long wall of netting made of mosquito net. A
et al., 2009). number of bamboo sticks of lm height are tied to
the netting vertically for support in intervals ofO.5m
The juvenile fishery in such a way that a wide and long net bag is formed
in the centre with the top and bottom edges
G manmina is a naturally occurring auto-stocked supported by the sticks. The number of sticks
clupeid fish in Hirakud reservoir, which breeds varies greatly with the length of netting and most
during the onset of monsoon. During summer commonly, it is 20-30. The net is dragged by two
months, the water level in the reservoir goes to a fishermen wading through the shallow waters.
very low level especially along the peripheries of
the dam. When the rainy season initiates, many The 'Chhina jaal' is also made of mosquito
small fishes starts breeding and G manmina is a netting, but, unlike the khadijaal, it is a type of
major one among the small prolific breeding species hand lift net, The corners of the netting are attached
of the shallow reservoir area. G manmina, with to the ends of two bamboo poles arranged as

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 JUVENILE FISHERY OF G MANMINA

Fig. l. Khadijaal and Chhinajaal, gears used in the juvenile fishery of G manmina

Fig. 2. G manmina catch and marketing of the catch

crossbars. The net is dipped into and lifted from juveniles of other reservoir fishes (Fig.2). The size
the water by means of a long pole attached to the of juveniles in the catch varies from less than 1 cm
crossbar. This fishing gear is operated single to 3 cm. Though the entire catch of fishery is not
handed and smaller size ofthe gear enables ladies huge, the numbers of individuals caught are
and even small kids to operate the gear. enormous. On an average, 100 g of catch
comprised 300-350 numbers of juveniles.
Catch
Marketing and socio-economics
The average catch obtained in two hour operation
by khadijaal is 6-8 kg and that of chhinajaal is Though it can be treated as a subsistence fishery,
3 kg. More than ninety five percent ofthe catch is a small marketing system exists for the fishery, with
Gonialosa manmina juveniles and the rest is involvement of men, women and kids. The catch

89
 SAJINA et al.

is sold at a rate of Rs. 20-30 per kg and it is There exists a notion that subsistence fisheries are
mainly women who collect the catches for selling sustainable, which mayor may not be true in reality.
in local households (Fig. 2). The fishery contributes In some cases, data show that family fishing and
as a seasonal livelihood source in the other usually neglected types of fish catch can result
underdeveloped poverty stricken fishing villages in surprisingly high yields, demanding an ecosystem
fringing the reservoir. The case study of this fishery
approach to ensure the sustainability of the
can reveal and contribute to the understanding of
resource. In the current situation of Indian fisheries,
mostly 'invisible' role of women and kids in
the access to open water fishery resources, though
fisheries.
restricted in acts and rules, is not controlled in
Fisheries activities in Indian reservoirs often play practice. Properly managed fishery, in ecological,
a significant role in the livelihoods and nutrition of social and economical contexts, would promptly
rural communities. The fish production from be of benefit to small-scale fishermen and would
reservoirs is always used entirely for direct human sustain the fishery resources in inshore waters for
consumption, fresh or processed and the great bulk the use offuture generations.
of these fisheries is artisanal and provides
livelihoods for the rural poor. The fishery has SAJINA, A. M., D. SUDHEESAN,
socio-economic significance as it contributes to the S. SAMANTA, S. K. PAUL,
livelihoods of poor fisher folk. It is a fact that the S. BHOWMICK AND S. K. NAG
rationality of subsistence or artisanal fishing and Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute,
its environmental impacts cannot be fully Barrackpore, Kolkata ,
understood unless women's and children's roles West Bengal, 700 120, India
are brought into focus.

There are two viewpoints: the ecological

significance of juveniles for future harvests, and Acknowledgements
the importance of this subsistence fishery as a food
supply. The general strategy adopted for highly The authors thankfully acknowledge the help and
fecund short lived fishes, i.e. maximum exploitation guidance of Prof. A. P. Sharma, Director CIFRI,
in the peak available time,justifies the seasonal Dr. M. K. Das, Former HoD and Dr. B. P.
fishery. But the smaller size of fishes in the catch Mohanty, present HoD of FREM Division of
prevents the maximum biological yield and CIFRI, Barrackpore.
economic benefits from the population. The fishery
has got nutritional significance, as it is a nutrient References
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consuming whole fish is the added advantage of manmina (Ham.) from the Kaptai Lake, Bangladesh. The
the fishery. Chittagong Univ. 1. B. Sei., 4( 1 &2) : 53-61.

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