Draft CMP HH - the Department of Environment

Coastal and Wetland Biodiversity Management Project BGD/99/G31
Hakaluki Haor Draft Conservation Management Plan
• Implement the species recovery plans in close collaboration with local community groups and
relevant government authorities
• Identify critical wildlife habitats and work with local community groups and relevant
government agencies to ensure that these sites come under appropriate protection as sanctuaries
• Identify the key threats to wildlife in the Haor and develop recommendations aimed at
mitigating in the short-term the most serious of these threats
• Update inventory/ database of wildlife species at Hakaluki Haor
• Organise education and awareness raising activities which promote an understanding of the need
for wildlife conservation in Hakaluki Haor
• Build the capacity of local community groups to undertake on-going monitoring of wildlife
populations at Hakaluki Haor
• Ensure that all wildlife surveys are part of an integrated ecological monitoring programme for
Hakaluki Haor
• Review the legal and policy framework which regulates the protection of wildlife and propose
amendments which more effectively support their conservation
Primary Outcome/ Output
• Wildlife is protected, numbers are increasing, and threatened species are recovered
Constraints
• Community groups may not be interested to become involved in wildlife monitoring activities
• Slow initiation of wildlife conservation activities may result in the loss of more species
• Disagreements between community groups and government agencies may arise of the
nomination of sites as wildlife sanctuaries
7.1.3 Fish and Fishing
The Hakaluki Haor wetland ecosystem is an important habitat for a large variety of freshwater fish.
Most recent data suggests that there are a total of 107 different species fish that inhabit the complex
of Haor aquatic habitats including beels, canals, rivers, and floodplains. For fish management
purposes the most important rivers have been identified as the Kushiara, Bardol, Juri, and Fanai as
they are responsible for feeding the floodplains outside of the ECA which are important breeding
grounds for fish in the summer months of rain. During the winter, as the water level begins to drop,
the fish accompanied by their young return to the river and beel systems of the Haor. In
Bangladesh, fish are classified into two major groups. The first is referred to as “White Fish” and is
characterised by a life cycle spent predominantly in rivers. The other group is called “Black Fish”
and is distinguished by a life cycle spent predominantly in beels. Juri and Bardal Rivers are the
main migratory pathways for White Fish in and out of the ECA. Fish migration within the ECA is
predominantly via the Damai, Kuiachara, and Kantinalla Rivers. Fish species that spend a
significant of their time in a river system take shelter in the areas of the river that are the deepest.
These sites of refuge are referred to as “deep scour holes” or known locally as “Coombs”. So far,
the most Coombs have been identified in the Kushiara and Bardol Rivers. The other rivers of the
ECA have yet to be adequately surveyed.
Fish numbers in Hakaluki Haor are dropping as a result of a combination of unregulated and
unsustainable fishing practices. According to IUCN, 16 species are endangered, 12 are vulnerable,
and 4 are critically endangered. Some of the more destructive elements include the use of
Prepared by UNOPS Consultant Mr. Sulma Warne August/ September 2005 for Project BGD/99/G31 13