143
slopes of the Himalayas and contains only one
economic species, Gymnocypris waddelskii
(Schizothoracinae). The fi shery opened in 1961,
when a farm was established on the north shore,
and the annual yield variously has been 255 t
(1961), 500–750 t (1962–1965), 200 t (1981) to
45–500 t (1982–1992). There is no provincial
fi shery authority, and the catch is transported to
the capital, Lhasa. Six kinds of fi shing gears and
methods are used, namely, (a) large seine nets
(646 × 21 m) (could be equivalent to ‘Mahajal’ in
Asian wetlands), operated by pairs of boats (average 500–750 kg per haul and up to 5,750 kg) ;
(b) small seine nets (24 × 10.5 m), operated from
a single boat, average 100–250 kg per haul;
(c) gillnets, introduced in 1982 and involving
about 20 connected nets 50 × 2 m (average 27 kg
per net); (d) blocking of river channels in the
spawning season; (e) large seine nets set under
the ice; and, rarely, (f) small trawls.
Further, a number of lakes in western China
support populations of the brine shrimp Artemia
salina (Anostraca). For example, in Ebinur
Lake in Xinjiang Province, where the salinity is
about 100 g l
−1 , the biomass of Artemia is about
7,000 t (Zhen 1990) and the potential yield is c
2,000 t/year.
In addition to the lentic fi shery, the lotic environment also plays a signifi cant role in the fi sheries of the region. In Xizang (Tibet), the Yarlung
Zangbo River (which becomes the Brahmaputra
River in India) is the main fi sh producer. Ninetyfi ve percent of Xizang’s fi shery production (500 t)
originates from the Yarlung Zangbo and its tributaries. River fi sheries in the region generally are
limited by the rugged topography. The upper
reaches of the Lancang (Mekong in Vietnam), Nu
Jiang (Salween in Burma) and Yangtze are virtually unexploited because the steep-sided gorges
make access extremely diffi cult.
Keluke Lake
Keluke Lake , lying at 2,814 m MSL, between 96°
54′ E and 37° 17′ N, is a natural lake near Delingha
in Qinghai Province. The lake has a surface area
(km
2
), volume (10
8 m
3
), maximum depth (m) and
average depth (m) of 53, 2.34, 8 and 4.4, respectively. Further, the lake water generally shows
average temperature 2.1 °C, transparency 1.5 m,
pH 9.0, DO 7.4 mg l
−1
, TA 3.0, TH 7.0, NO 3
0.007 mg l
−1 and PO 4 0.039 mg l
−1
. Annual precipitation and evaporation are generally 26 and
3000 mm year
−1
, respectively. The AM biomass
generally reveals 600 g m
−2
; while phyto- and
zooplanktonic biomass are 1.76 and 0.83 g /m
3
,
respectively. In this lake, fi ngerlings were fi rst
stocked in 1973, and a yield of 200 t was attained
a few years later (Zhao et al. 1981 ; Wang 1987 ).
The lake now is a consistent producer of common
carp (about 70 % of the catch) in addition to crucian carp and grass carp.
Ulungur Lake
Ulungur Lake , lying at 479 m MSL, between 87 °
10′ E and 47 ° 20′ N, is a not very HA lake in
China. It has a surface area (km
2 ), volume
(10
8 m
3
), maximum depth (m) and average depth
(m) of 925, 59, 16 and 6.4, respectively. Annual
average rainfall and evaporation usually are 181
and 1,600 mm year
−1 , respectively. Water analysis generally reveals average temperature 4 °C,
transparency 3.3 m, pH 8.9, DO 7.5 mg l
−1
, TA
11.7 mg l
−1 , TH 26.9 mg l
−1 , NO 3 0.001 mg l
−1 and
PO 4 0.015 mg l
−1 . AM biomass usually shows
24,000 g m
−2 ; while phyto- and zooplanktonic
biomass generally reveal 2.42 and 0.89 g/m
3 ,
respectively.
Sayram Lake
Sayram Lake , lying at 2,071 m MSL, between 81 °
05′ E and 44° 42′ N, is an HA lake in China. Its surface area (km
2
), volume (10
8 m
3
), maximum depth
(m) and average depth (m) are 453, 210, 92 and
36.4, respectively. The average annual rainfall and
evaporation are 105 and 1,800 mm year
−1
, respectively. Water analysis generally reveals transparency
8.5 m, pH 8.8, DO 7.4 mg l
−1
, TA 13.2 mg l
−1
, TH
88.6 mg l
−1
, NO 3 0.30 mg l
−1 and PO 4 0.01 mg l
−1
.
In fi ne, with regard to high altitude lentic bodies of China, it could be said that capture-fi shery
production, probably, has peaked in Xinjiang
(Liu et al. 1989 ), but there is potential for more
development on the Qinghai–Xizang Plateau.
Production could be stabilised, possibly at
10,000 t in each of the three provinces.
Nevertheless, aquaculture has potential for
6.9 High Altitude (HA) Lentic Bodies
slopes of the Himalayas and contains only one
economic species, Gymnocypris waddelskii
(Schizothoracinae). The fi shery opened in 1961,
when a farm was established on the north shore,
and the annual yield variously has been 255 t
(1961), 500–750 t (1962–1965), 200 t (1981) to
45–500 t (1982–1992). There is no provincial
fi shery authority, and the catch is transported to
the capital, Lhasa. Six kinds of fi shing gears and
methods are used, namely, (a) large seine nets
(646 × 21 m) (could be equivalent to ‘Mahajal’ in
Asian wetlands), operated by pairs of boats (average 500–750 kg per haul and up to 5,750 kg) ;
(b) small seine nets (24 × 10.5 m), operated from
a single boat, average 100–250 kg per haul;
(c) gillnets, introduced in 1982 and involving
about 20 connected nets 50 × 2 m (average 27 kg
per net); (d) blocking of river channels in the
spawning season; (e) large seine nets set under
the ice; and, rarely, (f) small trawls.
Further, a number of lakes in western China
support populations of the brine shrimp Artemia
salina (Anostraca). For example, in Ebinur
Lake in Xinjiang Province, where the salinity is
about 100 g l
−1 , the biomass of Artemia is about
7,000 t (Zhen 1990) and the potential yield is c
2,000 t/year.
In addition to the lentic fi shery, the lotic environment also plays a signifi cant role in the fi sheries of the region. In Xizang (Tibet), the Yarlung
Zangbo River (which becomes the Brahmaputra
River in India) is the main fi sh producer. Ninetyfi ve percent of Xizang’s fi shery production (500 t)
originates from the Yarlung Zangbo and its tributaries. River fi sheries in the region generally are
limited by the rugged topography. The upper
reaches of the Lancang (Mekong in Vietnam), Nu
Jiang (Salween in Burma) and Yangtze are virtually unexploited because the steep-sided gorges
make access extremely diffi cult.
Keluke Lake
Keluke Lake , lying at 2,814 m MSL, between 96°
54′ E and 37° 17′ N, is a natural lake near Delingha
in Qinghai Province. The lake has a surface area
(km
2
), volume (10
8 m
3
), maximum depth (m) and
average depth (m) of 53, 2.34, 8 and 4.4, respectively. Further, the lake water generally shows
average temperature 2.1 °C, transparency 1.5 m,
pH 9.0, DO 7.4 mg l
−1
, TA 3.0, TH 7.0, NO 3
0.007 mg l
−1 and PO 4 0.039 mg l
−1
. Annual precipitation and evaporation are generally 26 and
3000 mm year
−1
, respectively. The AM biomass
generally reveals 600 g m
−2
; while phyto- and
zooplanktonic biomass are 1.76 and 0.83 g /m
3
,
respectively. In this lake, fi ngerlings were fi rst
stocked in 1973, and a yield of 200 t was attained
a few years later (Zhao et al. 1981 ; Wang 1987 ).
The lake now is a consistent producer of common
carp (about 70 % of the catch) in addition to crucian carp and grass carp.
Ulungur Lake
Ulungur Lake , lying at 479 m MSL, between 87 °
10′ E and 47 ° 20′ N, is a not very HA lake in
China. It has a surface area (km
2 ), volume
(10
8 m
3
), maximum depth (m) and average depth
(m) of 925, 59, 16 and 6.4, respectively. Annual
average rainfall and evaporation usually are 181
and 1,600 mm year
−1 , respectively. Water analysis generally reveals average temperature 4 °C,
transparency 3.3 m, pH 8.9, DO 7.5 mg l
−1
, TA
11.7 mg l
−1 , TH 26.9 mg l
−1 , NO 3 0.001 mg l
−1 and
PO 4 0.015 mg l
−1 . AM biomass usually shows
24,000 g m
−2 ; while phyto- and zooplanktonic
biomass generally reveal 2.42 and 0.89 g/m
3 ,
respectively.
Sayram Lake
Sayram Lake , lying at 2,071 m MSL, between 81 °
05′ E and 44° 42′ N, is an HA lake in China. Its surface area (km
2
), volume (10
8 m
3
), maximum depth
(m) and average depth (m) are 453, 210, 92 and
36.4, respectively. The average annual rainfall and
evaporation are 105 and 1,800 mm year
−1
, respectively. Water analysis generally reveals transparency
8.5 m, pH 8.8, DO 7.4 mg l
−1
, TA 13.2 mg l
−1
, TH
88.6 mg l
−1
, NO 3 0.30 mg l
−1 and PO 4 0.01 mg l
−1
.
In fi ne, with regard to high altitude lentic bodies of China, it could be said that capture-fi shery
production, probably, has peaked in Xinjiang
(Liu et al. 1989 ), but there is potential for more
development on the Qinghai–Xizang Plateau.
Production could be stabilised, possibly at
10,000 t in each of the three provinces.
Nevertheless, aquaculture has potential for
6.9 High Altitude (HA) Lentic Bodies