Golden Jubilee National Seminar on Diversification of Aquaculture Through Locally Available Fish Species EVALUATION OF FISHERY AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROFILE OF FISHERMEN ALONG THE RIVERS KATAKHAL, POLA AND DHOLESHWARI OF HAILAKANDI DISTRICT OF SOUTHERN ASSAM B.K. Mahapatra and K.Vinod ‘Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Sector-V, Salt Lake City, Kolkata-91. ?Mandapam Regional Centre of CMERI, Marine Fisheries, Mandapam-623520, TN bkmahapatra2007@yahoo.co.in The survey was conducted in Hailakandi district of Assam covering 70 fishermen fishing along the river Katakhal, Pola and Dholeshwari. Majority of the fishermen i.e. 67.14% fall in the age group of 31 to 40 years, followed by 27.14% in the range of 41 to 50 years and only 5.71% of the fishermen belong to the age group of 51 years and above. From the survey, it has been observed thet only middle-aged group people are involved in fishing and the interest in fishing occupation is decreasing in youngsters. This declining trend of fishing occupation may be due to mass migration of youngsters to the near by town in search of earning more money in short span of time. Further, from the survey it has been found that majority of fishermen fishing along the river Katakhal, Pola and Dholeshwari are Muslim (52.85%) and only 47.14% belongs to Hindu community. Muslim community mainly dominates the Hailakandi district of Assam. This may be the reason for more involvement of Muslim community in to the fishing occupation. So far the family size of fishermen is concefned, about 76.19% of the fishermen are having a family size of 2-5 including adult and children. Only 24.28% of them are having a family size of 6-8. The present generation of fishermen are well aware of family planning. This is the reason that the young fisher folk are having a small family size of 2-5 in compared to the aged fishermen. As far as the earning member in family is concerned, 76.19% of the fishermen family are having one eamning member in the family. Only 24.28% of them are having tivo earning members in the family. The big family size and less earning is the basic cause for low socio-economic condition of the fishermen, which has made majority of fishermen i.e. 90% to stay in Kaccha house and only 10% of them are having Pukka house. So far as the education status of fishermen is concerned, 68.57% of them are middle class dropout and 31.42% are illiterate. The primary source of income comes through fishing and during off-season some of them earn money in doing agriculture activities. Organized by CIFE, Kolkata Centre on 27-28 August, 2010 104Golden Jubilee National Seminar on Diversification of Aquaculture Through Locally Available Fish Species The major fish species caught from the river Katakhal, Pola and Dholeshwari are Rohu (Labeo rohita), Mrigal (Cirrhinus mrigala), Lariya (Clupisoma jarua), Gonia (Labeo gonius), Ghagal (Mystus menoda), Bacha (Zurropiichthys vacha) etc. From the survey, it has been observed that the fish diversity of river Katakhal, Pola and Dholeshwari is decreasing day by day. One of the main reasons for such declining fish diversity may be due to pollution in terms of slurry discharged from Hindustan Paper Mills in to Barak river system. Beside, integular use of fishing gear like mosquito net is also responsible for destruction of fish juveniles, which leads to declining the fishery. The fishermen of the region use the water of the rivers mainly for the purpose of fishing (100%), for irrigation (100%), drinking (95.71%) and animal bathing (95.71%). Furthermore, from the study it has been found that the fishermen operating along the rivers used traditional fishing gear like gill net, cast net and mosquito net. In some part of the river, fishermen are also found to be using fishing gear like Ghumti jal and Palain jal. So far as the family members involved in fishing activities is concerned, only men are found to do fishing, marketing and preservation activities. The general trend of fish consumption in fishermen family, marketing in local as well as far away places like Guwahati and preservation in terms of dry fish. Apart from fish marketing, consumption and preservation, the survey was also designed to assess the fish availability trend in river Katakhal, Pola and Dholeshwari. From the study it has been found that in the past twenty years, the fish catch has drastically declined and which was supported by 95.71% of the respondents. The reasons cited for fish catch declination are use of mosquito net specially during breeding seasons resulting in destruction of large-scale juvenile fishery, the slurry and sewage from Panchgram Hindustan paper mills discharge in the Barak river system is also hampering the natural fishery, EUS (Epizootic Ulcerative Syndrome) in the Barak river system occurring every year during the period of November to March killing a large number of fishes, use of insecticides in the winter crop of the raised riverbed and from the adjoining paddy field hampering breeding and survival of the juvenile Form the survey it has been found that the fish catch in the rivers Katakhal, Pola and Dholeshwari of Hailakandi District is declining which was opined by 95.71% of the fishermen. Therefore, to maintain a constant catch trend in the river Katakhal, Pola and Dholeshwari, following suggestions are made use of ideal mesh size fishing net so as to catch the bigger/marketable size fish from the water bodies, Restrictions are to be made in application of pesticides in the adjoining paddy fields, the slurry and sewage from Panchgram Hindustan paper mills should be biologically treated Organized by CIFE, Kolkata Centre on 27-28 August, 2010 105Golden Jubilee National Seminar on Diversification of Aquaculture Through Locally Available Fish Species before discharging in to the Barak river system, declaration of off seasons in certain parts of the year so as to allow the fishes to breed in their conducive environment. IMPORTANCE OF SOME INDIGENOUS FISH SPECIES WITH RESPECT TO NUTRITIONAL AND ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT OF RURAL FARM FAMILIES OF SOUTH 24 PARGANAS Prasanta Chatterjee, Lakshman Chandra Patel, Chandan Kumar Mondal and Dipak Kumar Roy Ramlrishna Ashram Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Nimpith, South 24 Parganas, West Bengal-743338 pchatterjeel 964@gmail.com The mono cropped low lands of South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal have been found to be the natural habitat for a variety of indigenous fish species. Particularly low lands with water stagnation of 2.5ft. — 3.5ft. during monsoon favours natural breeding of this type of fish. The perimeter canal along the periphery of the paddy plot or a ditch excavated within the plot Provides shelter for these fish at the time of paddy harvesting. Traditional paddy variety, Marishal was cultivated in the kharif season where no Pesticides were used. The land for paddy cultivation was prepared with organic manures like mustard oil cake and raw cow dung. The indigenous fish of previous year enters into the paddy field, from adjacent perimeter canal, when water level in the field rises. The fish breeds in the field, naturally, during monsoon. Indigenous trapping gears placed at the confluence of the ditch or perimeter canal and the paddy plot helps to catch these fish which provides the daily protein requirement of the farm families. During the months of March-April, these fish are harvested from the ditch or perimeter canal by dewatering the ponds. The present study shows that from an area of 0.65 ha paddy field and adjacent 0.065 ha ditch, a haul of 42-50 kg Puntius sp, 5-7 kg Anabas testudineus > and 7-8 kg Clarias batrachus, 5-6 kg Heteropneustes fossilis, 10-1 2kg Channa punctatus, 30-35kg Channa striatus, 1Skg Nandus nandus, 2kg Trichogaster fasciata, 5-6 kg Amphipnous cuchia and 14-15 kg Mastacembelus pancalus was obtained. An estimated income of Rs. 12,000.00 was obtained by selling the indigenous fish. Organized by CIFE, Kolkata Centre on 27-28 August, 2010 106