Inland Fisheries

1.5.10 Management issues

Efforts are underway in many areas to improve the status of selected inland fishery resources through restocking programmes, habitat rehabilitation and improved fishery management. While habitat rehabilitation is a widespread activity in many developed countries, it is not common in developing countries and its efficacy in improving fish stocks has not been evaluated in most cases. Also, the management of rice-based ecosystems for biodiversity, together with the use of alien species and stocking of inland water bodies, continues to improve the fishery resources of many areas, primarily in Asia. Globally, inland fishery resources appear to be continuing to decline as a result of habitat degradation and overfishing. This trend which is in large part a result of the growing quantities of freshwater being used for hydro power generation and agriculture is unlikely to be reversed as long as countries do not see inland fisheries as a growth sector. And they are not likely to want to reconsider this view point until they have accurate information on these fisheries and their value to society now and in the future.

In a changing world, it will be a major challenge to sustain the different functions of inland fisheries, such as their role in food security and poverty alleviation and other ecosystem services.