Minor cyprinid resources in a man-made lake in Sri Lanka: a potential supplementary source of income for fishermen

Abstract

The reservoir fishery in Sri Lanka is based mainly on the exotic species Oreochromis mossambicus, and indigenous cyprinid resources are not exploited. Four species of minor cyprinids, Amblypharyngodon mellettinus, Barbus chola, B. dorsalis and B. filamentosus, are abundant in Parakrama Samudra, a man-made lake in Sri Lanka. Experimental fishing trials with gill nets of 18-, 38-, 52- and 64-mm mesh sizes indicate that the mesh sizes below 52 mm can be used for exploiting minor cyprinids without detrimental effects on the existing O. mossambicus fishery, confirming the findings of earlier studies.

The annual potential yield of minor cyprinids in Parakrama Samudra (632 kg ha?1), estimated by comparing catch per unit effort values of minor cyprinids with those in southern reservoirs in the country, is appreciably higher than that of O. mossambicus. The value of minor cyprinid resources to fishermen as a supplementary source of income is highlighted.