Fish Resources Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Change in Bangladesh

Fish and Fisheries have been playing a very significant role in nutrition, culture and economy of Bangladesh from time immemorial. Currently, about 80 per cent of the animal protein intake in the daily diet of the people comes from fish. The fisheries sector, it is estimated, contributes 3.5 per cent of the GDP of Bangladesh. From habitat point of view, three principal habitat forms exist from which fish are harvested. These are pure freshwater habitats in the rivers and their floodplains. These water bodies are inhabited by 260 species of fin fish, 25 species of prawn and 25 species of turtles. In addition, 11 exotic species of fin fish have been introduced for the purpose of aquaculture. In portions of the freshwater rivers near their confluence with the sea i.e., Bay of Bengal, the water changes from fresh to saline conditions, with a wide range of salinity gradient both spatially and temporally. These tidal parts of the rivers constitute the estuaries with brackish water conditions. Many freshwater species of fish and prawn visit the estuaries and brackish water habitats at different stages of their life cycle. Similarly, post-larvae of many coastal and marine prawns come to the brackish water habitat to feed and grow into adults. In the Upper Bay of Bengal bordering Bangladesh, 475 species of fin fish are known to occur of which about 65 are of commercial importance. The marine waters also contain about 38 species of marine prawn. In Bangladesh very little or no work on the physiology and ecology of indigenous species of fin fish or prawn has been done. As a result, it is difficult to state or predict likely effects of climate change on different fish/prawn populations and the fisheries based on them. However, some likely effects of climate change on fish habitats are presented in this article.