Water resources are often viewed as lifeline for development, more particularly in Indian Himalayas, where large network of streams and rivers traverse forming the “Water Tower” for plains, valleys and downstream. Streams and rivers, comparable to veins and arteries of watersheds face various problems due to increasing demands from them for socioeconomic and ecosystem or environment related goods and services. The potential of water resources is variously affected by mismanagement of watersheds and resultant soil erosion and floods, which in turn affect human life, animals and other natural resources including fishes immensely in Himalayan region. One of the important goods and services received from water resources is the environment for fish production or fisheries development for food or trade.
Fisheries sector contributes greatly to the livelihoods and food security of people besides to recreational benefits and ecosystem services. Fish farming in farm ponds and Water Harvesting Structures (WHS) yields 3.5-4.5 t ha-1 year-1 and integrated fish farming enhances profit while minimizes resource use. Streams and rivers serve as source of fish food in varying degrees for about 40% of the households, depending on the distance of settlement from rivers in mid-Himalayas and fishing sustain huge population of the region. Fishing is more intense in the rivers above 4th-orders and hence they face severe problems mainly due to prevailing unscientific fishing, which warrants corrective managerial inputs. Nonetheless, the water resources of Himalayan region have not been managed potentially for fisheries development. Watershed-based Fisheries Development Plans (WFDP) has the potential to renovate landscapes, aquatic resources and fisheries production besides improving agricultural production and aggradations of natural resources. The contribution of CSWCRTI towards watershed-based fisheries development over 15 years, and the needed research, policy and strategies to improve fisheries production are identified. The need to incorporate fisheries dimensions into ecosystems and water management approaches have been discussed in this communication