Indigenous communities worldwide have long relied on their environment for survival. Religious and customary beliefs that foster community conservation have not only bound these communities to ecosystems but also assisted in the conservation of species. We provide an example of how religion fosters the conservation of freshwater fishes in India. Since ancient times rural communities in India have revered fish species as symbols of divine power, and offered them protection in pools associated with temples. Such voluntary, informal institutions and arrangements continue to help conserve several freshwater fish species that are otherwise subjected to anthropogenic pressure in open-access areas. However, religious beliefs in India are waning as a result of increased urbanization, modernization of societies and disintegration of rural communities, and the sustainability of existing temple and community fish sanctuaries is questionable. We discuss the role of temple sanctuaries as an informal conservation strategy for freshwater fishes, and discuss the knowledge and policy gaps that need to be addressed for ensuring their future.
Flood inundation maps provide valuable information towards flood risk preparedness, management, communication, response, and mitigation at the time of disaster, and can be developed by harnessing the power of satellite imagery. In the present study, Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture RADAR (SAR) data and Otsu method were utilized to map flood inundation areas. Google Earth Engine (GEE) was used for implementing Otsu algorithm and processing Sentinel-1 SAR data. The results were assessed by (i) calculating a confusion matrix; (ii) comparing the submerge water areas of flooded (Aug 2018), non-flooded (Jan 2018) and previous year's flooded season (Aug 2016, Aug 2017), and (iii) analyzing historical rainfall patterns to understand the flood event. The overall accuracy for the Sentinel-1 SAR flood inundation maps of 9th and 21st August 2018 was observed as 94.3% and 94.1% respectively. The submerged area (region under water) classified significant flooding as compared to the non-flooded (January 2018) and previous year's same season (August 2015-2017) classified outputs. Summing up, observations from Sentinel-1 SAR data using Otsu algorithm in GEE can act as a powerful tool for mapping flood inundation areas at the time of disaster, and enhance existing efforts towards saving lives and livelihoods of communities, and safeguarding infrastructure and businesses.
Recreational fishing is an established activity in developed countries across the world. Many emerging economies have well-established recreational fisheries; however, in countries such as India there has been little discourse on what is needed to support this activity's sustainable development. Here, we review the history of recreational fishing and the current status of recreational fisheries in India. The lack of scientific knowledge on the basic biology of sport fish species, targeting of threatened species, and the absence of region-or species-specific angling regulations for recreational fisheries are identified as some of the challenges associated with this sector in India. Moreover, governance structures are disorganized, with multiple agencies assuming some responsibility for recreational fishing but none tasked explicitly with its sustainable development and management. With improved legislative support and a clear policy framework, developing a responsible and sustainable recreational fisheries industry in India is possible.
Mahseer are popularly regarded by anglers as the king of freshwater fishes, and are valued across the Himalayan and South-east Asian regions. In India, mahseer are important game fish. Mahseer populations and their habitats face a range of anthropogenic threats, however, including unregulated fishing and habitat fragmentation as a result of hydro-development projects. Catch-and-release angling for mahseer attracts both national and international anglers and could provide information about rivers while generating revenue for regional economies. In this context, we evaluated catch-and-release angling records from rivers that flow within two Indian reserves (the Ramganga and Jia Bharali Rivers in Corbett and Nameri Tiger Reserves, respectively). Golden mahseer Tor putitora in the Ramganga and golden and chocolate mahseer Neolissochilus hexagonolepis in the Jia Bharali were the most frequently caught fish species. Catch data suggested these game fish populations are probably not negatively affected by angling activities. Interviews with stakeholders highlighted support for catch-and-release angling, mainly because of its perceived economic benefits. The data obtained in this research could potentially assist with both fish conservation and the protection of associated aquatic ecosystems.
Mountains host high biological and cultural diversity, generating ecosystem services providing benefits over multiple scales but also suffering significant poverty and vulnerabilities. Case studies in two contrasting village communities in the Indian Middle Himalayas explore linkages between people and adjacent forest and river ecosystems. Interviews with local people and direct observations revealed low food availability and decreasing self-sufficiency, under the combined pressures of increasing foraging by wildlife (primarily pigs and monkeys) coupled with seasonal to permanent outmigration by younger men seeking more secure income and alternative livelihoods. Much of the income remitted by migrants to their villages was not retained locally but flowed back out of the Himalayan region through purchases of food produced and marketed in the plains. This threatens the economic viability of villages, also placing asymmetric pressures on resident female, elderly and young people who concentrate labour on local livestock production to the neglect of crop agriculture, further compounding land abandonment and wildlife foraging. Significant traditional knowledge remains, along with utilitarian, cultural and spiritual connections with the landscape. Many beneficiaries of locally produced ecosystem services are remote from village communities (particularly water flows downstream to the plains), but no recompense is paid to stewards of the forested Himalayan landscape. Although local people currently perceive high biodiversity as a constraint to agriculture and other economic activities, the Himalayan landscapes could potentially constitute an asset with appropriate institutional development through promotion of managed bioprospecting, guided ecotourism and payment for ecosystem services (PES) schemes for water supply and under REDD+.
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