- Summary
- Objectives
- Status
- Project Publications
The Fish Conservation Zone (FCZ) is an area that is demarcated along a stretch of the river for the conservation of fish and other aquatic biodiversity and is managed by local communities. In 2021, with the support of the Critical Ecosystems Partnership Fund (CEPF), we along with our collaborators, established two FCZs in Khengjang and Yangoulen villages in Manipur and in Lapalang village in Meghalaya. The establishment of FCZ has helped in the protection and recovery of the fish population in these two sites and has also raised awareness among local communities about the importance of conserving freshwater ecosystems. This project was envisioned to use the experience and lessons learned from our previous work to further fish conservation in this region.
1. Generate baseline data on aquatic biodiversity of the Tuivang River in Manipur.
2. Demarcate and establish community managed Fish Conservation Zones (FCZs) in additional stretches of Tuivang river in Manipur.
3. Build capacities of local communities and researchers to aid conservation efforts.
4. Enable learning and experience of fish conservation to be shared across two global biodiversity hotspots. The dissemination of project outputs through social media and news media will attract more ecologists to study the conservation science of river fisheries.
5. Sensitise Regional and Central government officials about community-managed fish conservation zones in free-flowing rivers through workshops and articles in social media and newspapers.
6. Help raise the profile of sustainable capture fisheries as an alternative use of free-flowing rivers that can support livelihoods rather than the existing paradigm of abstraction of water from rivers or regulation for hydropower.
- One new Fish Conservation Zones (1.9 ha) was established along the Tuivang River in Manipur.
- In the Tuivang River in Manipur, we recorded five fish species: Macrognathus morehensis, Rasbora ornatus, Schistura sp., Barilius sp., and Puntius sp. Of these, Rasbora ornatus is a Vulnerable species as per the IUCN redlist.
- A workshop on the basics of fish taxonomy and biology was conducted in L. Bongjoi village, Manipur on 17th April 2023. Around 25 villagers from L. Bongjoi and Moljol villages, three local field assistants, one field biologist and five local fishermen attended this workshop.
- Through participatory workshops and meetings, awareness of the importance of river systems and forests, and the need to conserve these landscapes has been created among the villagers and local researchers and students. These workshops empowered five villages in Meghalaya and two in Manipur and 15 local researchers and students with knowledge on fish taxonomy and hydrology, and skills to monitor fish stocks, changes in river hydrology, and managing fish conservation zones.
- Through exposure visits to previously established FCZ sites, villagers witnessed the positive impacts of conserving a small stretch of a river on fish population. They expressed their interest in replicating these conservation action plans in their villages and are also now better informed and equipped to spread conservation awareness among other villagers.
- Through a regional workshop in Shillong, Meghalaya on October 9, 2023 and a national-level workshop in Bengaluru, Karnataka on 1st and 2nd December 2023, we disseminated our learning and positive impacts of FCZ.