Characteristics of inland fisheries
Inland fisheries are complex in their multigear and multispecies
aspects, in their interannual variability as driven by abiotic
factors, and in their social and economic context.Many
inland fisheries, particularly those of large tropical river
basins, occur within species-rich, ecologically diverse assemblages
where population dynamics are difficult to observe and
interpret.As in most ecological communities, a few species are
highly abundant,more are moderately abundant, and many
are rare (Winemiller 1996); this distribution of abundances
also applies to the numerical distribution of fish species
caught by individual gears (Welcomme 1999). Another
widespread trend is for small individuals and species to
greatly outnumber large individuals and species (McDowall
1994), a consequence of the low ecological efficiency of
food chains, and of the coupling of high reproductive output
and high juvenile mortality that characterizes most fish
species.About 50% of species present in any system do not
grow larger than 15 centimeters (cm) standard length, and
90% of species never grow larger than about 50 cm (figure
2;Welcomme 1999).Wherever larger fish are targeted, their
relatively small numbers and lower population growth
rates, relative to small species,make them more prone to depletion.
In addition, a greater proportion of large species are
piscivorous, as illustrated by the trophic composition of
the fish species present in the various inland waters ofWest
Africa (figure 3). Although many exceptions can be cited—
including the detritus-eating Mekong giant catfish (Pangasianodon
gigas), the omnivorous major carp of India (e.g.,
Catla catla), and the herbivorous tambaqui of South America
(Colossoma macropomum)—in many instances removal
of the largest fish translates into the removal of apex predators,
with the potential for substantial top-down effects on food
web dynamics.
To fully exploit the wide diversity of inland fish species, each
with its own habits and size range, mankind has developed
an equally extensive armory of fishing gears, broadly classified
as active and passive (von Brandt 1984). These include
gill, cast, seine, lift, and hand nets; traps; lines; poisons; and
dynamite. In developing countries, high reliance on fishing,
together with the depletion of large high-value stocks, results
in the exploitation of a great variety of species and habitats
by diverse fishing methods and large concentrations of fishers
(figure 4;Welcomme 2001). In affluent societies, in contrast,
only a handful of fishing methods (gill nets, hoop nets,
longlines) are employed to capture those large species with
the highest economic value.