Chilika : an integrated management planning framework for conservation and wise use

Co-published with Wetlands International - South AsiaLake Chilika is a highly complex ecosystem influenced by a diverse range of factors within its river basin and coastal zone. Wetlands International – South Asia, and Chilika Development Authority have intensively worked with a range of stakeholders, particularly local communities. An integrated management planning framework has been developed to guide long term use for this important wetland. The book provides background on the ecosystem character and services, institutional arrangements, legal framework, and management planning framework. Chilika Lake, lake and lagoon in eastern Odisha state, is separated from the Bay of Bengal by a narrow spit. The pear- shaped wetland spans the districts of Puri and Ganjam, India

Mixed culture of Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei (Boone, 1931) and flathead grey mullet Mugil cephalus (Linnaeus, 1758) in floating cages

The study explored the possibility of integrating the grey mullet Mugil cephalus (Linnaeus, 1758) along with Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei (Boone, 1931) in floating cage culture in Godavary Estuary, India. Post-larvae (PL 12) of L. vannamei (3 lakhs nos.), were acclimatised and nursed in five hapas for 28 days at a density of 3333 nos. m-2, with survival of 60%. L. vannamei juveniles having mean weight of 0.86 g, stocked at a density of 1060 nos. m-2, were cultured along with and without pre-stocked M. cephalus, in three floating cages each. Six thousand fry of M. cephalus (mean length 4.17 cm; mean weight 1.22 g) were stocked in three cages at uniform density of 23.5 nos. m-3, three months prior to stocking of L. vannamei. Shrimps were fed commercial pellets @ 3-8% of body weight, four times daily and harvested after 68 days. Fishes were fed with pelleted feed and after five months attained mean length of 23.7 cm and mean weight of 274.1 g. Survival was 46.4% and the average production obtained was 250.2 kg. At harvest, L. vannamei in monoculture system attained mean weight of 13.3 g and in the mixed culture system, average weight obtained for the shrimps was 13.5 g. Survival, feed conversion ratio (FCR) and production of L. vannamei from monoculture were 64.7%, 2.0 and 258.9 kg and from mixed culture 76.8%, 1.6 and 311.5 kg respectively. Daily weight increment and specific growth rate (SGR) of L. vannamei was 0.18 g and 4.06 for monoculture and 0.19 g and 4.01 for mixed culture, resepectively. Feed conversion, survival and production of L. vannamei were significantly (p<0.05) better in mixed culture, confirming technical superiority of mixed culture over monoculture

Growth performance of Asian seabass Lates calcarifer (Bloch, 1790) stocked at varying densities in floating cages in Godavari Estuary, Andhra Pradesh, India

Present study was undertaken in Godavary Estuary, Andhra Pradesh for evaluation of the effect of three stocking densities on growth performance, survival and production of Lates calcarifer (Bloch, 1790) in floating cages and for optimisation of stocking density in cage farming. Seabass fingerlings having length and weight of 8.36±0.32 cm and 8.10±0.61 g respectively, were stocked in six cages (6 m dia; 3 m net depth) at three different stocking densities of 15, 30 and 45 nos. m-3 and their growth performance was monitored every fortnight for five months. All fishes were fed with chopped trash fish @ 8 - 12% of body weight. After 150 days of grow-out culture, seabass fingerlings reached 36.0±6.0 cm in length and 690.7±41.3 g in weight at density of 15 nos. m-3, 33.9±0.4 cm and 633.2±17.9 g at density of 30 m-3 and 30.2±0.4 cm and 465.0±21.2 g at density of 45 nos. m-3. Growth was allometric and did not differ with stocking density. Survival percentage was comparatively higher at lower (87.3%) and moderate (83.9%) stocking densities, while production was higher at moderate (1363.2 kg) and higher (1258.4 kg) stocking densities (p<0.5). Gain in weight as well as specific growth rate (SGR) were higher at lower and moderate stocking densities (p<0.5). The results of the study indicated that among the three stocking densities tested, 30 nos. m-3 is superior to 15 and 45 nos. m-3, with higher yield

Managing freshwater, river, wetland and estuarine protected areas

Better practices for managing inland aquatic ecosystems in protected areas—including rivers, other brackish and freshwater ecosystems, and coastal estuaries—are the focus of this chapter. Most natural protected areas are designated as ‘terrestrial’ or ‘marine’, and the obvious question for most managers is ‘why should I worry about the (usually) small portion of my protected area that involves freshwater habitat’. In this chapter, we argue that freshwater and estuarine habitats are significant for conserving biodiversity in most land-based protected areas and that managers need to apply the freshwater-specific conservation tools outlined here to do a good job