Is mountain fishing sustainable?
Mr Marttin worked for some time on the floodplains of Bangladesh and recalls: “Nobody was a full-time fisher, but everyone fished. So it was hard to determine how heavily a fishery was exploited, which is also the case in mountain rivers.” Lakes are easier to monitor, and he points out that on Nepal’s Lake Phewa, for example, fishers are licensed through membership in associations. They help with restocking, as do local Buddhist monks. Here too, however, there is a need to assess stocks more carefully. For thefuture “It’s clear that mountain fisheries need integrated solutions,” says Mr Marttin. “We need both science and socioeconomics. Conservation must be balanced with needs such as nutrition and hydropower. The meeting in Kathmandu was a first step to find these solutions.” Among the measures the symposium called for were: • Better information on fish stocks and exploitation • Assessment of steps already taken to manage fisheries and reconcile their needs with those of other water u
