NATURAL RESOURCES AND THEIR ECOSYSTEM SERVICES EDITED BY

NATURAL RESOURCES AND THEIR ECOSYSTEM SERVICES EDITED BY Dr. Abhijit Mitra Mr. Monruskin M. Calma Dr. Shambhu Prasad Chakrabarty ASSOCIATE EDITORS Dr. Sufia Zaman Dr. Prosenjit Pramanick H.S.R.A PUBLICATIONS No. 2,sri Annapoorneshwari Nilaya, 1st Main, Byraveshwara Nagar, Laggere, Bangalore - 560058, Ph: 7892793054, Email : [email protected] www.hsrapublications.com © 2020 HRSA Publication, India All rights reserved. No part of this publication or the information contained herein may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, by photocopying, recording or otherwise, without written prior permission from the publisher. Although due care has been taken, no responsibility is assumed by the publisher nor the editors for any damage as a result of use of this publication and/or the information contained herein. Published by: HSRA Publication No. 2, Sri Annapoorneshwari Nilaya, 1st Main, Byraveshwara Nagar, Laggere, Bangalore - 560058, India Ph: 7892793054, Email: [email protected] www.hsrapublications.com Library of Congress Cataloging No: Applied for ISBN: 978-81-947216-7-3 ii Intercontinental Webinar Proceeding on “Ecosystem Services and UNSDG” held on 5 th June 2020 CHAPTER 10 The tale of Anadromous Fish Tenualosa ilisha (Hamilton, 1822), the Monsoon Delicacy of Bengal Joystu Dutta1, Manmatha Nath Sarker2, Shyama Prasad Bepari 2, Pavel Biswas2 and Abhijit Mitra3 1 Department of Environmental Science, Sant Gahira Guru University, Sarguja, Ambikapur (Chhattisgarh) – 497001 2 Department of Oceanography, Techno India University, West Bengal, EM 4/1 Salt Lake Sector V, Kolkata 700091, India 3 Department of Marine Science, University of Calcutta, Ballygunge Science College Campus, Kolkata700019 Abstract The anadromous fish species Hilsa (Tenualosa ilisha) constitutes the largest single fishery in Bangladesh and West Bengal, India and is known for its delicacy throughout the world. It is a sociocultural symbol of Bengalis across the globe. The aquatic phase of the Ganga-Bhagirathi River system is the important habitat for Hilsa as the major breeding and nursing grounds are situated along this portion of the river. In this paper, we investigate the impact of several stressors on the survival and growth of the species in the backdrop of climate change. Keywords: Tenualosa ilisha, stressors, survival and growth, climate change Joystu Dutta, Manmatha Nath Sarker, Shyama Prasad Bepari, Pavel Biswas and Abhijit Mitra | Page 87 The tale of Anadromous Fish Tenualosa ilisha (Hamilton, 1822), the Monsoon Delicacy of Bengal Distribution and status of Hilsa Hilsa- the king of fishes is deep rooted within the socio-cultural as well as religious sphere of South Asian region. Hilsa is being voraciously consumed and admired by fish connoisseurs of Bangladesh and West Bengal in India. Fishes in general occupies a major chunk of culinary space of global food map. Hilsa tops this chart of culinary delicacy since decades due to its’ inimitable taste and food value. Fishes come across as an alternative protein source among the developing economies residing near the coastal areas and freshwater resources resulting in development of huge consumer base and prolific market since the last few decades. Fisheries and aquaculture promotes livelihood among millions and plays a key role in alternative economic growth and development in South-East Asian region particularly India and Bangladesh. Socio-political scenario and dialogues of mutual cooperation between India and Bangladesh begins with Tenualosa ilisha making it all the more prolific and a household name. Fisheries sector is directly influenced by arrival and exit of Hilsa shad every year leading to trade of millions of dollars worldwide. Therefore, any decline in fish production particularly Hilsa shad due to fluctuating climate parameters and several other associated reasons might throw shockwaves and rippling effects across the fisheries industry which occupies a pivotal share in the economic development of the region- Eastern Coastal states of West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu as well as Bangladesh. The hugely popular market of this commercially significant fish species constitutes almost 1.5% of Bangladesh’s National Gross Domestic Product (GDP). More than 2 million fishermen are dependent on Hilsa fisheries in lower Gangetic estuaries [https://sandrp.in/2014/09/01/collapsing-hilsa-can-the-dams-compensate-for-the-loss]. This has a multipronged contribution on livelihood generation, economic development and food-security in the region. United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) highlight in total 17 parameters for sustainable actions across multiple dimensions. Our current study concurs with SDG 1, 2, 3, 12 and 14 which highlights no poverty, zero hunger, good health and well-being, responsible consumption and production as well as life below water respectively. Our goal for sustainable tomorrow can therefore be achieved only through achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their specific aims and objectives in letter and spirit. Fisheries play a crucial role in achieving global food demands, eradicating hunger in addition to employment and livelihood generation for millions of people living below the poverty benchmark across the world. The economic activity has its’ share of profits and losses. 16.7 per cent of the protein intake by global populations is met through fish consumption worldwideas per The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture report put forwarded in 2014 by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations headquartered in Rome. This report further reveals the engagement of more than 58.3 million people involved in capture fisheries and aquaculture, with more than 84% located in Asia and specifically South-East Asian countries. This clearly proves the dependency of marginal families living in coastal regions on fisheries and aquaculture development for holistic economic and societal development. Hilsa shad Tenualosa ilisha (Hamilton, 1822) belongs to class Actinopterygii, order Clupeiformes, sub-family Alosinea and family Clupeidae. It is an anadromous fish with broad ranged geographical distribution in Southeast and South Asia (Sahoo, et al., 2016) (Mandal, et al., 2018) ranging from China Sea to Bay of Bengal, from Arabian Sea to Persian Gulf and is omnipresent from coastal areas, and estuaries to freshwater rivers (Chattopadhyay, 2018) It is one of the most important as well as largely popular fishes of Indo-Pacific region (De, et al., 2019) with very high contents of omega fatty acid and potentialities for therapeutic applications (Dutta and Hazra, 2017). The fish species is predominantly distributed in the western division of the Indo-Pacific faunal region (Pillary, et al., 2016). Joystu Dutta, Manmatha Nath Sarker, Shyama Prasad Bepari, Pavel Biswas and Abhijit Mitra | Page 88 Intercontinental Webinar Proceeding on “Ecosystem Services and UNSDG” held on 5 th June 2020 Habit, habitat and threats Scientists reviewed and highlighted Hilsa’s biology, migration, ecology and genetics with respect to its future sustainability (Dutta and Hazra, 2017). The adaptation of the species to varying salinity levels under the impacts of climate change is still not understood properly. Hilsa thrives under varying salinity levels between (22.4-33.4 ppt) while inhabiting in coastal and estuarine ecosystems (Barat et al., 1996; Ali et al., 2014). The spawning propagation prompts Hilsa to move towards freshwater regions with salinity concentration lower than 0.05 ppt (Barat, et al., 1996). Climate Change has been an overarching problem for all fish species across the globe. Fluctuations in sea-surface temperature, ocean acidification, intermixing of saline and freshwater due to storm-water surges, change in ocean currents and wind circulation patterns, rampant habitat degradation and edge effects are playing havoc on Hilsa production across the Indian subcontinent. There has been a considerable decline in Hilsa catches in the riverine system during the last decade prompted by fish migration route shifting as well as indiscriminate harvesting of brood and juvenile fishes (Hossain et al., 2019). Overexploitation of habitats due to overfishing has also resulted in decline in fish production across the globe and majorly in Indian subcontinent. Hilsa fisheries have also faced similar consequences and this has increased manifold during the recent years due to low productivity, increased market competition, increased frequency of natural disasters and proliferation of export trades (Mohindra et al., 2019; Bhaumik 2017). A list of driving factors that functions as a result of global impact of climate change and it’s far reaching consequences need to be discussed at this juncture to ensure holistic understanding of the internal and external, local and regional, conditional and unconditional factors that directly as well as indirectly impacts global fish production as detailed in Fig.1. Fig. 1. Schematic representation of impacts of climate change and fishing activity on the marine ecosystem and its fish component (Sannadurgappa et al., 2011) Fishing practices across the world has been unsustainable and market driven as a result of direct and indirect changes in the distribution, demography, and stock structure of individual species as well as in fish communities and marine ecosystems (Brander 2007). Associated ecosystem services such as nutrient cycling, resilience and adaptational abilities to fluctuations in climate parameters are also negatively affected as a result of climate change. Future sustainable fisheries and aquaculture practices therefore calls for effective management of fishing activities and optimal exploitation of fishing stocks. Market demands and consumer driven fishing practices must take into account climate variability, seasonal changes, incidences of dismal production, lack in infrastructure as well as crucial interplay of Joystu Dutta, Manmatha Nath Sarker, Shyama Prasad Bepari, Pavel Biswas and Abhijit Mitra | Page 89 The tale of Anadromous Fish Tenualosa ilisha (Hamilton, 1822), the Monsoon Delicacy of Bengal several other non-tangible factors. Interannual and decadal environmental variability which is a subset of ‘climate variability’ directly influences global fish production. For example, annual catches of biggest single-species fishery Peruvian anchoveta (Engraulis ringens), ranged from 94,000 tons to 13 million tons during the period 1970–2004, with much of the variability resulting from changes in the El Nin˜o–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) (Barber 2001). The direct and indirect effects of climate change includes erratic rainfall pattern and increased evaporation rates as well as larger volumes of water consumption for irrigation purposes to offset reduced precipitation. Threats to aquaculture arise from (i) stress resulting from increased temperature and oxygen demand as well as decreased pH (ii) water supply and demand gaps (iii) extreme weather events, (iv) increased frequency of natural disasters such as floods, cyclone, drought, earthquake, landslides etc. (v) sea level rise (vi) gaps in fishmeal and oil supply from capture fisheries (Naylor 2000; IPCC 2001). A schematic diagram illustrating current and/or projected impacts of climate changes on major components of marine and coastal ecosystems is discussed in (Fig. 2). Fig. 2. Schematic diagram illustrating current and/or projected impacts of climate changes on major components of marine and coastal ecosystems (Link et al., 2017) The impacts of global climate change on physico-chemical as well as biological, and even social components of marine, coastal, and freshwater ecosystems are well documented (Doney et al., 2012; Griffis et al., 2013; IPCC 2013; Melillo 2014). Complex cacophony of several crosslinking factors leading to observed and expected changes to the physico-chemical characteristicsof aquatic environments (predominantly marine) are illustrated in Fig. 2. Scientific literature documents the status of Hilsa fishery and production for aquaculture (Wahab 2019). Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute (CIFRI) has been conducting ecological investigations on Hilsa fisheries in the lower Ganga basin. Biotic and abiotic stress factors intertwined with Hilsa’s ecological dynamics have been studied by fisheries experts since many years. Decadal data on catch, migration, spawning behavior and reproductive biology is available (Bhaumik 2010). In India, hilsa is a year-round fishery with two distinct peaks during the monsoon season and winter in the Bhagirathi-Hooghly river system of Ganges. Bangladesh has a network of 230 rivers in three major riparian systems, the Ganges-Padma, the Brahmaputra, Yamuna and the Meghna. The three river Joystu Dutta, Manmatha Nath Sarker, Shyama Prasad Bepari, Pavel Biswas and Abhijit Mitra | Page 90 Intercontinental Webinar Proceeding on “Ecosystem Services and UNSDG” held on 5 th June 2020 basins drain a catchment area of 1,720,000 km² of which only 7% lies in Bangladesh (BoBLME 2011). Ecosystem productivity and food availability are the two key players in presence and sustenance of Hilsa. Alterations in climate dynamics as discussed above in tandem with pollution influx from point and non-point sources, biotic interferences and anthropogenic stress factors are the key regulators in Hilsa productivity (BoBLME 2011) Hilsa production is largely affected by double pronged impacts of organized fishing across its’ breeding zones and global climate change during the last decade. The resultant intensity of species loss and biodiversity degradation instigated by astronomical rise in fishing is a matter of grave concern for India and Bangladesh. Climate Change on the other hand has infringed on the Net Primary Productivity of fish stocks globally with massive decline in sensitive fish species such as Hilsa Shad and rise in invasive species in inland waters. Invasive species are a major threat to the productivity and sustenance of indigenous species. They can also obstruct the migration of Hilsa shad. The only way out under such critical scenario is to allow sustainable fishing practices similar in line with sustainable agricultural practices. Biomass and Mortality are key indicators of climate induced changes in fish species. Fishes form the fulcrum of marine ecosystems. Fisheries and Aquaculture are the major pillars of ecosystem based services and needs urgent assessment and valuation for holistic management and conservation approaches. International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural ResourcesCommission on Ecosystem management (IUCN CEM) focuses on Nature Based Solutions (Nbs) for sustainability of such fragile ecosystems directly or indirectly affected by vagaries of climate change and intense anthropogenic stresses. Management of few commercially important species such as Hilsa Shad won’t negate climate induced changes. Therefore, a holistic approach is necessary which goes beyond species specific conservation approaches. Non-linear and abrupt changes in species composition as well as productivity focus on a precautionary approach in management of fisheries and aquaculture sector. Moreover, sustainability can never be achieved if stakeholder based solutions are not adopted. This further includes ensuring livelihood generation and economic development of marginal fisher folk communities in developing economies such as India, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. The management system must act as a buffer to the unpredictable situations such as climate related incidents, natural disasters, viral outbreaks such as COVID19 and other factors. ‘One size fits all’ theory cannot be undertaken to understand the responses of ecosystems to climate variability and trophic level complexities. Therefore, clear roadmap of adaptation and mitigation strategies cannot be predicted for dynamic and large ecosystems such as freshwater and marine resources. Reliable and quick information services, sustainable practices, stakeholder based approaches, nature based solutions, disaster resilience strategies, transparency in governance and holistic management of marine and freshwater ecosystems is the need of the hour. Alternative and diversified livelihood approaches must be cultivated among fishing communities to reduce the pressure on direct fishing as a long-term approach. Fig. 3 depicts the crucial interplay of several external and internal factors influencing Hilsa shad production during the specific seasons in a calendar year. Inland catch of the species is rapidly decreasing and the marine catch is increasing. This corresponds to the pertinent fact that marine fishery is more broad-ranged, dedicated and with high economic returns in comparison to their freshwater counterparts. This makes the livelihood option of fishery and aquaculture more marine-specific. It is the high time to not keeping all your eggs in the same basket and diversifies livelihood opportunities for holistic protection against both internal as well as external factors. Sustainable fishing practices must be primarily implemented in regions of the world with large fish consuming populations. Sustainable fisheries management must include conservation of age and Joystu Dutta, Manmatha Nath Sarker, Shyama Prasad Bepari, Pavel Biswas and Abhijit Mitra | Page 91 The tale of Anadromous Fish Tenualosa ilisha (Hamilton, 1822), the Monsoon Delicacy of Bengal spatial structure of the species in addition to viable spawning biomass as proposed by (Hsieh et al., 2009). Fig. 3. Crucial interplay of internal as well as external factors during Hilsa shad production (Hossain et al., 2019) Fishing and aquaculture sector would continue to play a pivotal role in ensuring socio-economic stability and survival of the marginal fishing communities in developing economies such as India and Bangladesh in a post COVID19 world. The identified stress factors that directly influence the community are unsustainable fishing methods and practices such as bottom fishing leading to species loss and extinction. Another issue relates to excessive by-catches of non-target organisms which includes endangered and protected species and wasteful discards. IUCN Regional Office for West Asia (ROWA) in joint collaboration with DROSOS Foundation aims at holistic development of these communities thriving below poverty level through diversified economic practices and poverty reduction, sustainable fisheries management and increasing the bouquet of livelihood options, and better marketing linkages for value addition and ethical pricing. These small but sustainable approaches would ensure lesser exploitation of both fish and fishing communities under the current vagaries of climate change. Hilsa Shad is our iconic symbol and emblem of cultural traditions and heritage. This is high time we ensure conservation of the species besides enjoying its’ culinary delights. Joystu Dutta, Manmatha Nath Sarker, Shyama Prasad Bepari, Pavel Biswas and Abhijit Mitra | Page 92 Intercontinental Webinar Proceeding on “Ecosystem Services and UNSDG” held on 5 th June 2020 References: 1. Ali, A.D., Naser, M.N., Bhaumik, U., Hazra, S., Bhattacharya, S.B. (2014). 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