Padma Multipurpose Bridge Project

Estimated total production from capture fish habitats of the direct impact area is 797 Mton. Beside,another 175 Mton are coming from culture ponds. Annual total production of the area is 972 Mton.Individual CPUE and annual production of different gears and those associated fish species are givenin Table 3-23. Catch of Chandi jal and Gulti jal contributes almost 50% to the local area fishproduction followed by Chair (Fish trap), Sutar jal, Ber jal (Kazli jal) and Bana basail (Figure 3-33 andTable 3-23).Table 3-23: Estimated fish production (Mton) of the study areaFisheriesCategoryName of FishingGears/ HabitatTarget Fish SpeciesFish catch per uniteffort (CPUE)(Kg/hr/gear)Annual fishproduction(Mton)Capture Gulti jalHilsa and Large Cat fishes (Boal,3.9 192Pangus, Rita, Aire, Bagair)Ber jal (Kazli jal) Kazli and other SIS* (Baila,1.3 68Chingri, Poa, Bata, Pabda)Candi jal Hilsa 3.0 191Sutar jal Kazli and other SIS 0.4 124Bana basail Mixed SIS 2.5 72Doair chai Mixed SIS 0.6 150Sub-total 797Culture Pond Major carps, Pangus - 175Total 972*SIS (Small Indigenous Fish)Source: Consultant Fish Catch Assessment Survey, 2009.Figure 3-33: Fish catch pattern by gears3.2.4.6 Number of Fishermen75. More than 2,700 fishermen are found during the catch assessment survey in the both banksof the study area. As more people become landless, fishing becomes increasingly the only option ofemployment. Hence, overall catch per fishers is declining due partly to the growth in the population offishers.3.2.4.7 Fishing Pattern76. The pattern of fishing along the bridge site is found similar to the lower part of the Padmathat with a major peak in the pre-monsoon season (April-July) and a second peak in the postmonsoonseason (October-December). This largely coincides with the migratory movements of manyfish species, particularly amongst the Hilsa, catfishes and cyprinids. Catfishes and major carps aremuch less prominent here. But the major carps are key indicators of the Padma river system. Theywere originally a dominant group in the river and floodplain eco-system. They are amongst the mosthighly regarded of the fish species with respect to commercial value and also for aquaculture. In thefirst recorded survey of Gangetic fishes (Hamilton 1822), they are reported as “abounding” and “verycommon” in the rivers and other water bodies of the system. During present catch assessmentsurvey, the carps were found in abundance.3-47