144
expansion, particularly in Xinjiang Province,
where production has been growing at an annual
rate of about 30 % (Liu et al . 1989 ), although this
will require investments of foreign capital.
Despite the limitations, fi sheries are most likely
to develop further along transportation corridors
and near major population centres, favouring
selected species as a basis for capture fi sheries
and establishing key species in culture. Fisheries
in western China are generally not very widespread because of its little less popularity amongst
the local people. The remoteness of the region
limits access to larger markets. Further, aquaculture in highlands is signifi cantly more expensive
than in lowland areas because feed generally has
to be imported. The paucity of native species is a
further limitation. This has, however, been partly
offset by translocations of species from elsewhere. But, concomitantly, introductions could
present obvious dangers for the native fauna. In
addition, the climatic trend towards increased
aridity and the growing demand for withdrawal
of water from the lake for irrigation may also
limit development of lentic fi shery. As such,
fi shery requirements may have to be carefully
integrated with those of other consumers in
order to minimise confl icts over water use.
Notwithstanding the above, perhaps, the ultimate
constraints are imposed by the cold, HA climate,
as cold waters have inherently lower productivities than warm waters. This tends to amplify the
pressure on natural fi sh stocks and increases the
likelihood of over-exploitation. Hence, the fate of
both present and future fi sheries will depend critically upon resource management, including no
less careful attention to factors affecting recruitment. Ideally, development should be guided by
establishing fi shery research centres responsible
for basic research, collection of fi shery statistics,
selective breeding and stocking. This would
encourage a higher level of sophistication in fi shery management.
6.9.2.9 High Altitude Lentic Bodies
of Mongolia
Mongolia has >50,000 km of large rivers suitable for fi sheries, and there are also thousands of
lakes, the total area of which is about 15,995 km
2 .
Out of this, >3,000 lakes are >10 ha, 27 are
>5,000 ha and 4 are >10,000 ha. The water surface area of lakes represents about 1 % of the
total area of Mongolia. The total volume of water
stored in lakes exceeds 500 km
3 , of which
380.7 km
3 is stored in Lake Hovsgol Nuur
(Tserensodnom 1970 ). The highest number of
fi sh species (43) occurs in waterbodies of eastern
Mongolia, followed by the waterbodies of the
Selenga catchment (22 species) and by waterbodies in the endorheic Central Asian Internal
Basin (8 species). Thirty-one species and subspecies of fi sh are of economic importance in
Mongolia. In this landlocked country, the present annual catch of about 600 t comes mostly
from lakes, both freshwater and saline. The largest lake, Lake Hovsgol in the Arctic Ocean catchment, has a fi shery potential of 200–400 t year
−1 .
There is a proposal to test, in a pilot study, the
possibility of raising local fi sh species in hatchery/farm conditions.
Waterbodies with outlets to the Arctic Ocean
are located in northern and northwestern
Mongolia. Their catchments cover c 20.6 % of
Mongolia (323,000 km
2 ) and represent c 52.1 %
of the country’s aquatic resources. The catchments of the rivers Shishhid, Selenga and Bulga
Gol, with their lakes, and a group of lakes in the
Darhat Valley belong to this zone. The drainage
area of the Selenga represents c 90 % of the
Mongolian Arctic Ocean drainage. It includes the
group of Hangayn lakes , with large lakes Hovsgol
Nuur (Khubsugul), Dood Nuur (Dood Tsagaan)
and Terhiyn Tsagaan. Copepoda and Cladocera
dominate the zooplankton of these lakes, while
diatoms and blue-green algae (BGA) dominate
the phytoplankton. The biomass of zooplankton
is in the range of 0.3–33.8 g m
−3 in summer and
0.2–1.52 g m
−3 in winter. The rich benthos is represented by many species. The major aquatic
plants are pondweed, smartweed, milfoil and
duckweed. These lakes are important for commercial fi sheries.
Waterbodies with outlets towards the Pacifi c
are located in eastern Mongolia and are represented by the River Amur and its tributaries. Here
also belong some lakes of the eastern plains without outlets. The region represents c 13.5 % of the
6 Lakes of the World
expansion, particularly in Xinjiang Province,
where production has been growing at an annual
rate of about 30 % (Liu et al . 1989 ), although this
will require investments of foreign capital.
Despite the limitations, fi sheries are most likely
to develop further along transportation corridors
and near major population centres, favouring
selected species as a basis for capture fi sheries
and establishing key species in culture. Fisheries
in western China are generally not very widespread because of its little less popularity amongst
the local people. The remoteness of the region
limits access to larger markets. Further, aquaculture in highlands is signifi cantly more expensive
than in lowland areas because feed generally has
to be imported. The paucity of native species is a
further limitation. This has, however, been partly
offset by translocations of species from elsewhere. But, concomitantly, introductions could
present obvious dangers for the native fauna. In
addition, the climatic trend towards increased
aridity and the growing demand for withdrawal
of water from the lake for irrigation may also
limit development of lentic fi shery. As such,
fi shery requirements may have to be carefully
integrated with those of other consumers in
order to minimise confl icts over water use.
Notwithstanding the above, perhaps, the ultimate
constraints are imposed by the cold, HA climate,
as cold waters have inherently lower productivities than warm waters. This tends to amplify the
pressure on natural fi sh stocks and increases the
likelihood of over-exploitation. Hence, the fate of
both present and future fi sheries will depend critically upon resource management, including no
less careful attention to factors affecting recruitment. Ideally, development should be guided by
establishing fi shery research centres responsible
for basic research, collection of fi shery statistics,
selective breeding and stocking. This would
encourage a higher level of sophistication in fi shery management.
6.9.2.9 High Altitude Lentic Bodies
of Mongolia
Mongolia has >50,000 km of large rivers suitable for fi sheries, and there are also thousands of
lakes, the total area of which is about 15,995 km
2 .
Out of this, >3,000 lakes are >10 ha, 27 are
>5,000 ha and 4 are >10,000 ha. The water surface area of lakes represents about 1 % of the
total area of Mongolia. The total volume of water
stored in lakes exceeds 500 km
3 , of which
380.7 km
3 is stored in Lake Hovsgol Nuur
(Tserensodnom 1970 ). The highest number of
fi sh species (43) occurs in waterbodies of eastern
Mongolia, followed by the waterbodies of the
Selenga catchment (22 species) and by waterbodies in the endorheic Central Asian Internal
Basin (8 species). Thirty-one species and subspecies of fi sh are of economic importance in
Mongolia. In this landlocked country, the present annual catch of about 600 t comes mostly
from lakes, both freshwater and saline. The largest lake, Lake Hovsgol in the Arctic Ocean catchment, has a fi shery potential of 200–400 t year
−1 .
There is a proposal to test, in a pilot study, the
possibility of raising local fi sh species in hatchery/farm conditions.
Waterbodies with outlets to the Arctic Ocean
are located in northern and northwestern
Mongolia. Their catchments cover c 20.6 % of
Mongolia (323,000 km
2 ) and represent c 52.1 %
of the country’s aquatic resources. The catchments of the rivers Shishhid, Selenga and Bulga
Gol, with their lakes, and a group of lakes in the
Darhat Valley belong to this zone. The drainage
area of the Selenga represents c 90 % of the
Mongolian Arctic Ocean drainage. It includes the
group of Hangayn lakes , with large lakes Hovsgol
Nuur (Khubsugul), Dood Nuur (Dood Tsagaan)
and Terhiyn Tsagaan. Copepoda and Cladocera
dominate the zooplankton of these lakes, while
diatoms and blue-green algae (BGA) dominate
the phytoplankton. The biomass of zooplankton
is in the range of 0.3–33.8 g m
−3 in summer and
0.2–1.52 g m
−3 in winter. The rich benthos is represented by many species. The major aquatic
plants are pondweed, smartweed, milfoil and
duckweed. These lakes are important for commercial fi sheries.
Waterbodies with outlets towards the Pacifi c
are located in eastern Mongolia and are represented by the River Amur and its tributaries. Here
also belong some lakes of the eastern plains without outlets. The region represents c 13.5 % of the
6 Lakes of the World