Gillnet selectivity of small cyprinids in three Sri Lankan reservoirs

Abstract

As it has been reported that there is a harvestable potential of presently unexploited small cyprinid species in Sri Lankan reservoirs, attempts were made to investigate the gillnet selectivity for small cyprinids in three reservoirs with a view to defining regulatory measures for the subsidiary gillnet fishery. As exotic cichlids support profitable fisheries in reservoirs of Sri Lanka, any strategy to exploit small cyprinids should not adversely affect the cichlid stocks. Possibly due to the depth preference, exotic cichlids are not caught in small mesh (12.5 to 37 mm) gillnets which are set in the areas with water depths of over 2 m. The effective mesh sizes (stretched) of gillnet which were set in these areas were 16 and 20 mm for Amblypharyngodon melettinus and 33 and 37 mm for Puntius chola and P. filamentosus. Although P. dorsalis is caught in significant numbers in 50 and 60 mm mesh gillnets, this species is unlikely to be exploited without harming exotic cichlids because sub-adults of exotic cichlids are also caught in these mesh sizes. The importance of gillnet selectivity studies of small indigenous cyprinids in Sri Lankan reservoirs is discussed.