Interdisciplinary assessment of fisheries sustainability in Wular Lake, India

Abstract

AbstractInland fisheries, including aquaculture, contributed 73.65% of India's total fish production of 14.16 million tons in 2019–2020. Wular Lake, one of the largest freshwater lakes in Asia with a 13,000 ha area and a notable Ramsar wetland of international importance, supports thriving but increasingly threatened endemic fisheries that supply almost one‐fourth of Jammu and Kashmir's fish catch and supports livelihoods of 3147 families of indigenous communities in a remote Himalayan region of India. A modified multi‐dimensional RAPFISH methodology was used to ascertain the sustainability of the lake's fisheries. Catch records and published literature formed secondary data sources while primary information was collected through detailed key informant interviews, focus group discussions and participant observation methods, among both resource users and resource managers during 2018–2019. With a RAPFISH score of 40%, Wular lake fisheries fell in a less sustainable category, which is a cause of concern. Along with the technology evaluation field, which fared worst with a poor score of 15.77%, social (30.39%) and governance (39.09%) fields were less sustainable, while economic (69.33%) and ecology fields (57.68%) fell in the quite sustainable category. Very poor education level, high population density, minimal infrastructure, primitive craft, increasing pollution and ineffective governance are prime drivers of low sustainability. Variability in scores of evaluation fields and indicators supports the validity and utility of the modified RAPFISH tool for illuminating multi‐dimensionality and complexity of lake fishery management. In the context of sustaining a small‐scale artisanal fishery and associated livelihoods, our findings suggest specific evidence‐based interventions to improve the sustainability of lake fisheries that can avoid tragedy of commons problem.