FISHERIES MANAGEMENT SCIENCE PROGRAMME R.5485 RIVER AND FLOODPLAIN FISHERIES IN THE GANGES BASIN FINAL REPORT DECEMBER 1996 A I Payne S A Temple MARINE RESOURCES ASSESSMENT GROUP LTD OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION in Association with Dr R K Sinha, University of Patna Professor H R Singh, University of Allahabad Professor A Chandola-Saklani, University of Garhwal Dr S Huq, Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies CONTENTS OBJECTIVES i EXECUTIVE SUMMARY iii RECOMMENDATIONS ix 1. INTRODUCTION 1 2. APPROACH AND METHODS 3 2.1 LOWLAND SITES 3 2.1.1 Patna 3 2.1.2 Allahabad 6 2.1.3 Bangladesh 7 2.2 METHODS 7 2.2.1 Sampling Procedures 7 2.2.2 Water Quality Parameters 13 2.2.3 Socio-Economic Survey 14 2.3 UPLAND SITES 14 2.3.1 Garhwal Himalayas 14 2.3.2 Nepal 14 2.4 METHODS 15 3 HYDROLOGY AND THE AQUATIC ENVIRONMENT 18 3.1 UPLANDS TO DELTA 18 3.1.1 Appearance and Classification of the River 18 3.1.2 Physico-chemical Conditions 19 3.2 SEASONAL VARIATION IN THE LOWLAND SECTOR 22 3.2.1 Hydrology 22 3.2.2 Physico-Chemical Factors 24 3.2.3 Flood Areas 40 4 ELEMENTS OF THE GANGETIC RESOURCES 45 4.1 SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL FRAMEWORK OF THE FISHERY 45 4.1.1 General features 45 4.1.2 Limitations to Demand 45 4.1.3 Limitations to Fishing Activity 46 4.1.4 Limitations of Access 48 4.2 FISH RESOURCES 49 5 FISHERIES 63 5.1 UPLAND FISHERIES 63 5.1.1 General characteristics 63 5.1.2 Fishing methods 63 5.1.3 Garhwal Himal 65 5.1.4 Gandaki Basin 67 5.1.5 The Kosi Drainage Area 72 5.1.6 Rates of Fish Production 75 5.2 LOWLAND FISHERIES 76 5.2.1 Catches and Fish Movements 76 MRAG River and Floodplain Fisheries in the Ganges Basin - Final Report MRAG 5.2.2 Hilsa Survey 105 5.2.3 Other Species 105 5.2.4 Biodiversity and Species Composition 106 5.2.5 The Farakka Barrage 107 5.2.6 Spawn Collection from Major Carps in the River Ganga at Patna 108 5.2.7 Socio-Economic Surveys at Allahabad 109 6. SYNTHESIS 125 6.1 CHANGES IN SPECIES COMPOSITION AND BIODIVERSITY, WITH TIME125 6.2 SIGNIFICANCE OF CHANGES IN CATCH WITH TIME 125 6.3 POLLUTION INDICATORS 126 6.4 ENVIRONMENTAL FLUCTUATIONS, ENVIRONMENTAL MODELS AND PREDICTABILITY OF CATCHES 133 6.5 CATCH PREDICTION AND THE INDIAN MONSOON AND OTHER CLIMATIC MODELS 136 BIBLIOGRAPHY 139 APPENDIX 1: CATCH RECORDS FROM THE SAMPLING SITES AT PATNA141 APPENDIX 2: FISHING GEARS USED IN THE PATNA REGION 153 APPENDIX 3: HYDROLOGICAL DATA FROM THE ALLAHABAD REGION163 APPENDIX 4: EXTRACTS DAILY STAR, DHAKA, 13 DECEMBER 1996 171 MRAG River and Floodplain Fisheries in the Ganges Basin - Final Report MRAG LIST OF TABLES Table 2.1 Different types of nets and gears, details of mesh size, used in the River Ganga at Patna, with local and English names 6 Table 2.2 Types of Nets used in Allahabad Region 9 Table 2.3 Fishing villages in the Allahabad region 11 Table 2.4 Questionnaire for Allahabad Socio-economic Survey 12 Table 3.1 Hydrological data for various sites along the Ganges basin by altitude 22 Table 3.2 Summary of hydrological and physico-chemical observations on the Ganges River at Patna 26 Table 3.3 Summary of hydrological and physico-chemical observations on the Ganges River at Shivkuti, Allahabad 27 Table 3.4 Summary of hydrological and physico-chemical observations on the Yamuna River at Gaughat, Allahabad 28 Table 3.5 Summary of hydrological and physico-chemical observations at the confluence of the Rivers Ganges and Yamuna, Sangam, Allahabad 29 Table 3.6 Correlation and regression relationships between three parameters and water level on the River Ganges at Patna 42 Table 4.1 Distribution of access to boats amongst fishermen in villages from Allahabad Survey 48 Table 4.2 Component fish species at various sites down the Ganges Basin 53 Table 4.3 Growth characteristics as total length (cm) for each month, from length frequency analysis of the adult mahseer, Tor putitora 58 Table 4.4 List of fishes which can survive in different ecological conditions observed at Patna 1994-95 59 Table 5.1 Estimates of fish production in upland rivers of the Ganges Basin 76 Table 5.2 Catch by weight (kg) from Patna with all four sampling stations combined 77 Table 5.3 Catch by weight (kg) from Sadiapur, Yamuna River, Allahabad 108 Table 5.4 Catch by weight (kg) from Gaughat, Yamuna River Allahabad 109 Table 5.5 Catch by weight (kg) from Daraganj, Ganga River, Allahabad 110 Table 5.6 Coastal and riverine catches of Hilsa from daily surveys conducted at Swarighat landing centre, Dhaka (1994-95) 111 Table 5.7 Total landings of Hilsa in relation to mean size and maturity stage from daily surveys at Swarighat landing centre, Dhaka (1994-95) 111 Table 5.8 Species Composition by Weight (kg) from Patna 112 Table 5.9 Species Composition by Weight (kg) from Sadiapur 113 Table 5.10 Species Composition by Weight (kg) from Gaughat, Yamuna River 114 Table 5.11 Species Composition by Weight from Daraganj 115 Table 5.12 List of Spawn Collecting Nets and Hapa in operation at sites along the South Bank of the Ganges, with Operator 117 Table 5.13 Category-wise demographic composition of fisher families at Allahabad, India, by number 118 Table 5.14 Average Family Size Sex Ratio of fisher families at Allahabad, India 118 Table 5.15 Fishing Gears in operation at Allahabad, India 119 Table 5.16 The extent of time devotion and inheritance in the fishing activity at Allahabad by number and percentage 119 Table 5.17 The mean daily catch per fisherman family for the riverine stretch at Allahabad 120 Table 5.18 The status of financial assistance received by fisher families at Allahabad by number and percentage 120 Table 5.19 The employment status of fishermen in activities other than fishing, Allahabad120 Table 5.20 Intensity of problems faced by fisher families in Allahabad by number and percentage 121 Table 6.1 Catch composition by major categories at Allahabad (a) and Patna (b) since 1958 126 MRAG River and Floodplain Fisheries in the Ganges Basin - Final Report MRAG Table 6.2 Summary of available yearly catch data (mt) on the Indian Sector of the Ganges alongside mean discharge rates (m3 sec-1) at the Hardinge Bridge, on the lower Ganges in Bangladesh arranged as the same Year (M3), year -1 (M2), year -2 (M1) and year -3 (M). 127 Table 6.3 Predictable significance of decline in catches with time at points along the Ganges River 128 Table 6.4 Annual average of Water Quality of River Ganges at Patna 1984-94 129 Table 6.5 Tolerance limits for selected characteristics from Indian Standards IS:2296, in relation to observed ranges at Patna and Allahabad 129 Table 6.6 Results of stepwise Multiple Linear Regression of catch by species by river in Bangladesh and basin-wide rainfall* in the same and preceding years 135 Table 6.7 Results of stepwise Multiple Linear Regression of catch by species by river in Bangladesh and more local rainfall* in the same and preceding years 135 Table 6.8 Predictors for Monsoon Rainfall 137 MRAG River and Floodplain Fisheries in the Ganges Basin - Final Report MRAG LIST OF FIGURES Figure 2.1 Ganges River and Sampling Sites at Patna 5 Figure 2.2 Sampling sites at Allahabad 10 Figure 2.3 The drainage pattern of the Garhwal Himalaya, Uttar Pradesh, India 16 Figure 2.4 Drainage pattern of the Gandaki Basin, Nepal 17 Figure 2.5 Drainage Pattern of the Kosi Basin 17 Figure 3.1 Map of the Ganges Basin 21 Figure 3.2 Changes in water level in the Ganga River, 1994-95, at Patna 30 Figure 3.3 Changes in water level of the Ganga River, 1994-95 at Shivkuti, Allahabad 31 Figure 3.4 Changes in water level of the Yamuna River, 1994-95 at Gaughat, Allahabad32 Figure 3.5 Changes in water level of the Ganges (upper Padma) River in 1989 at Pabna, Bangladesh 33 Figure 3.6 Seasonal changes in temperature and water level in the Ganga River at Patna, 1993-95 35 Figure 3.7 Relationship between Conductivity (µs) to total dissolved solids (TDS) mg l-1 for Ganges River water 36 Figure 3.8 Changes in conductivity with water level on the Ganga River at Patna 1994- 95 37 Figure 3.9 Changes in conductivity with water level on the Yamuna River at Gaughat, Allahabad, 1994-95 38 Figure 3.10 Changes in conductivity with water level on the Ganga River, Shivkuti, Allahabad, 1994-95 39 Figure 3.11 Changes in turbidity with water level on the Ganges River at Patna, 1994-9541 Figure 3.12 Sketch map of the River Ganges at Patna at peak of floods 43 Figure 3.13 Sketch map of the River Ganges at Patna during low water season 44 Figure 4.1 Life Cycle of the mahseer, Tor putitora 57 Figure 4.2 Recruitment pattern of the mahseer, Tor putitora 62 Figure 5.1 Catches from the Yamuna River in relation to water level (m amsl), Allahabad 1993-1994 81 Figure 5.2 Proportions of major carps and catfishes in catches from the Yamuna River at Sadiapur, Allahabad. 82 Figure 5.3 Proportions of major carps and catfishes in catches from the Yamuna River at Gaughat, Allahabad 83 Figure 5.4 Proportions of major carps and catfishes in catches from the Ganga River at Daraganj, Allahabad 84 Figure 5.5 Proportions of major carps and catfishes in catches from the Ganga River at Patna 85 Figure 5.6 Catch composition of major carps from the Ganga River at Patna 1993-94 86 Figure 5.7 Catch composition of major carps from the Ganga River at Patna 1994-95 87 Figure 5.8 Catch composition of major carps from the Ganga River at Daraganj 1993-9488 Figure 5.9 Catch composition of major carps from the Ganga River at Daraganj 1994-9589 Figure 5.10 Catch composition of major carps from the Ganga River at Sadiapur 1993-9490 Figure 5.11 Catch composition of major carps from the Ganga River at Sadiapur 1994-9591