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Training programme on ‘Ecosystem-Based Management of Wetland Fisheries’

29^th October, 2024
ICAR-CIFRI successfully organized a comprehensive training program on “Ecosystem-Based Management of Wetland Fisheries” held from October 23 to 29, 2024. A total of 22 participants, including 21 students and 1 faculty member from West Bengal, Tripura, and Madhya Pradesh, attended the training. Inaugural program was graced by Chief Guest, Prof. (Dr.) B. B. Jana, Emeritus Professor (Retd.), International Centre for Ecological Engineering, University of Kalyani. Distinguished guests included Prof. J. N. Bhakta and Prof. Susmita Lahiri from the University of Kalyani, Dr. J. O. Schmidt, Director of Sustainable Aquatic Food at WorldFish, Malaysia, and Dr. Arun Padiyar P., WorldFish Lead for India.

In his presidential address, Dr. B. K. Das, Director, ICAR-CIFRI emphasized the importance of understanding wetland ecosystems and called for a holistic approach to the development of floodplain wetlands by adopting integrated management strategies using nature-based solutions to tackle climate change challenges. He has also given an overview of Inland open water fisheries of India with special reference to wetland fisheries. Prof. (Dr.) B. B. Jana discussed the Ramsar wetland definition, cost-effective nature-based ecological engineering for wetland ecosystem, eutrophication, productivity indicators, issue of toxic blue-green algae, and the top-down and bottom-up cascade approaches for wetland management. He also commended CIFRI’s efforts in knowledge dissemination in grassroots-level towards development of wetland fisheries. Dr. R. K. Manna, Course Coordinator, emphasized the importance of this training in view of severely declining wetland fishery in the recent past. The learning goals of this training program were experience on various aspects of ecosystem-based management of wetland fisheries.

In this training programme, the trainees gathered the knowledge by various lectures and interactive sessions on concept of ecosystem-based fisheries management, ecosystem services of wetlands, ecological health card with special reference to wetland fisheries, vulnerability of wetlands and its assessment with species reference to climate change, anthropogenic stressors influencing fish and fisheries of wetlands in India, ecology of floodplain wetlands with respect to fisheries, aquatic environment and habitat characteristics of wetland, management of fisheries in floodplain wetlands-existing technology including culture-based fisheries (CBF) and its scope for development for ecosystem-based fisheries in wetland fisheries management, enclosure culture for seed raising and table size fish production in wetlands, role of small indigenous fisheries (SIF) in wetland fisheries, role of plankton in wetland ecology, common fish diseases and its management in wetlands, emerging contaminants in wetlands with species reference to microplastics and heavy metals, GIS and remote sensing for wetland fisheries management, AI and drone technology in wetland fisheries management, role of skill development and community participation in wetland fisheries development, governance and policy issues including the role of different stakeholders for sustainable wetland fisheries development. This training program was modulated to provide hands-on experience on the basic taxonomy for fish identification, assessment of water and sediment parameters of wetlands, assessment of plankton, methodology for assessment of benthic organisms and macrophytes associated fauna, GIS and remote sensing practical, statistical assessment and software for ecological assessment of aquatic environment, indicator based assessment of wetland ecological health, estimation of fish yield potential and stocking strategies, assessment of trophic status, fish catch estimation methods in wetlands. One day field trip also organized for trainees as part of the training program to Beledanga wetland.