368
Fisheries Enhancement
Today, certain communities utilise Rudrasagar
wetland as a source of avocation through fi sh
catching and cultivation. One way of increasing
the fi sh productivity from the wetland is through
enhancement. But the intensity of such enhancements should not threaten the sustainability of
fi sheries of the lake and degrade the overall
environment.
Enhancement in the form of development of
culture-based fi sheries includes aspects like habitat improvement, fertilisation, feeding and elimination of predators or competitors. These
measures need to be taken in order to improve the
present level of fi sh production. This may enable
the poorer sections of the population to benefi t
from enhancements. However, this requires little
input and often provides with high returns.
Enhancement not only needs to play a role in
generating food, income and wider benefi ts from
underutilised degraded resources, but it also conserves the aquatic biodiversity.
Notwithstanding the above, stock enhancement is the most common approach to enhance
productivity of wetlands in many countries
around the world. Fish seed of desirable species
and size, preferably the fi ngerlings/yearlings,
may be stocked. This is done to utilise the available food niches, which will be otherwise utilised
by unwanted fi sh species. Fish species, which
occupy the lower level in the food chain, may be
stocked for effi cient energy conversion.
Generally, the stocking rate is about 500 fi shes
per ha area. However, appropriate stocking density may be worked out after estimating the carrying capacity of the wetland. The suitable
stocking density may be calculated considering
the potential yield, species ratios, mean weight
and age at capture, age of stocking and mortality
rate as suggested by Welcomme ( 1979 ).
Fish Production
The fi sh production in Rudrasagar Lake during
2005–2006 sale proceeds of fi sh amounted to
Rs.147981. However, fi sh production from the
Rudrasagar wetland is said to have decreased from
104 mt in 2002–2003 to 13 mt in 2004–2005.
Nevertheless, the Rudrasagar wetland is said to
have an annual fi sh production of 26 metric tonnes
on the average. The drastic reduction in fi sh landing shows the signs of overexploitation of fi shery
resources of the lake. In 1951, the Government of
Tripura rehabilitated 600 fi shermen refugees from
East Pakistan (present day Bangladesh) in 15 villages surrounding Rudrasagar Lake by forming a
society called the Rudrasagar Udbastu Fisherman
Samabaya Samity Ltd. At present, in the society’s
record, the water spread area of the wetland is
364.61 acres and agricultural land 1,464.86 acres,
while homestead land, road and tanks comprise
241.78 acres.
Other Fauna
These include mainly the toads, frogs, water
snakes and cormorants, representing the amphibians, reptiles, birds, etc. Rudrasagar is the ideal
habitat for IUCN Red listed three-striped roof
turtle, Kachuga dhongoka. Further, this wetland
also serves as the habitat for feeding, breeding
and nesting of resident aquatic birds like the little
cormorant, Indian shag, darter, pond heron, little
egret, large egret, adjutant stork, common teal,
pintail, large blue kingfi sher, common kingfi sher
and black-capped kingfi sher. It also serves as a
wintering ground for migratory aquatic birds like
Indian white wagtail, grey wagtail and different
types of swans and ducks.
Fishermen
The fi shermen belong to the Scheduled Caste
(SC) community. The SC community constitutes
c 15.12 % of the total population of Tripura today.
Demographic history of Rudra Sagar indicates
that about 1,000 refugees, who had immigrated
from erstwhile East Pakistan (now Bangladesh),
were rehabilitated in this wetland during the early
1950s. They were allotted c 6.0 acres of land for
cultivation in addition to land for homestead
along with fi shing rights in Rudra Sagar. They
had formed a fi shermen’s cooperative society
called ‘Rudra Sagar Udbastu Samavay Samiti’
for their developmental activities. There are a
number of villages along the periphery of this
wetland under the jurisdiction of the number of
Gram panchayats having a total population of c
35,233. Out of this, the population of SC com20 Wetlands of India
Fisheries Enhancement
Today, certain communities utilise Rudrasagar
wetland as a source of avocation through fi sh
catching and cultivation. One way of increasing
the fi sh productivity from the wetland is through
enhancement. But the intensity of such enhancements should not threaten the sustainability of
fi sheries of the lake and degrade the overall
environment.
Enhancement in the form of development of
culture-based fi sheries includes aspects like habitat improvement, fertilisation, feeding and elimination of predators or competitors. These
measures need to be taken in order to improve the
present level of fi sh production. This may enable
the poorer sections of the population to benefi t
from enhancements. However, this requires little
input and often provides with high returns.
Enhancement not only needs to play a role in
generating food, income and wider benefi ts from
underutilised degraded resources, but it also conserves the aquatic biodiversity.
Notwithstanding the above, stock enhancement is the most common approach to enhance
productivity of wetlands in many countries
around the world. Fish seed of desirable species
and size, preferably the fi ngerlings/yearlings,
may be stocked. This is done to utilise the available food niches, which will be otherwise utilised
by unwanted fi sh species. Fish species, which
occupy the lower level in the food chain, may be
stocked for effi cient energy conversion.
Generally, the stocking rate is about 500 fi shes
per ha area. However, appropriate stocking density may be worked out after estimating the carrying capacity of the wetland. The suitable
stocking density may be calculated considering
the potential yield, species ratios, mean weight
and age at capture, age of stocking and mortality
rate as suggested by Welcomme ( 1979 ).
Fish Production
The fi sh production in Rudrasagar Lake during
2005–2006 sale proceeds of fi sh amounted to
Rs.147981. However, fi sh production from the
Rudrasagar wetland is said to have decreased from
104 mt in 2002–2003 to 13 mt in 2004–2005.
Nevertheless, the Rudrasagar wetland is said to
have an annual fi sh production of 26 metric tonnes
on the average. The drastic reduction in fi sh landing shows the signs of overexploitation of fi shery
resources of the lake. In 1951, the Government of
Tripura rehabilitated 600 fi shermen refugees from
East Pakistan (present day Bangladesh) in 15 villages surrounding Rudrasagar Lake by forming a
society called the Rudrasagar Udbastu Fisherman
Samabaya Samity Ltd. At present, in the society’s
record, the water spread area of the wetland is
364.61 acres and agricultural land 1,464.86 acres,
while homestead land, road and tanks comprise
241.78 acres.
Other Fauna
These include mainly the toads, frogs, water
snakes and cormorants, representing the amphibians, reptiles, birds, etc. Rudrasagar is the ideal
habitat for IUCN Red listed three-striped roof
turtle, Kachuga dhongoka. Further, this wetland
also serves as the habitat for feeding, breeding
and nesting of resident aquatic birds like the little
cormorant, Indian shag, darter, pond heron, little
egret, large egret, adjutant stork, common teal,
pintail, large blue kingfi sher, common kingfi sher
and black-capped kingfi sher. It also serves as a
wintering ground for migratory aquatic birds like
Indian white wagtail, grey wagtail and different
types of swans and ducks.
Fishermen
The fi shermen belong to the Scheduled Caste
(SC) community. The SC community constitutes
c 15.12 % of the total population of Tripura today.
Demographic history of Rudra Sagar indicates
that about 1,000 refugees, who had immigrated
from erstwhile East Pakistan (now Bangladesh),
were rehabilitated in this wetland during the early
1950s. They were allotted c 6.0 acres of land for
cultivation in addition to land for homestead
along with fi shing rights in Rudra Sagar. They
had formed a fi shermen’s cooperative society
called ‘Rudra Sagar Udbastu Samavay Samiti’
for their developmental activities. There are a
number of villages along the periphery of this
wetland under the jurisdiction of the number of
Gram panchayats having a total population of c
35,233. Out of this, the population of SC com20 Wetlands of India