Catch Per Unit Effort, Catch Composition and Economic Analysis of Fishing Gears Operating in Dal Lake: A Baseline Study for Fisheries Management

A field study was conducted on the cast net and gill net fishery and species composition in the Hazratbal and Bod Dal basins of Dal lake, Srinagar Jammu & Kashmir. The study was conducted from February 2015 to May 2015 with the objectives of assessing the catch composition using cast net and gillnet and evaluating the income of the fishers. A total of nine species of fishes were identified in the catches of cast net and gillnet in the lake which included Cyprinus carpio, Carassius carassius, Schizothorax niger, Schizothorax esocinus, Schizothorax curvifrons, Crossocheilus diplochilus, Triplophysa spp., Puntius conchonius and Ctenopharyngodon idella. The dominant species during the study period was C. carpio which contributed 63.97% of the total catch by biomass and 41.64% by number on the whole. It dominated the catch by biomass as well as number in both the basins followed by C. carassius which contributed 32.09% by number and 20.5% by biomass. In both the basins of Dal Lake, maximum catch (by biomass) was found in the month of May and minimum catch in the month of February. The maximum number of specimen were recorded in the month of April in the Hazratbal basin and May in the Bod Dal basin of Dal Lake, Srinagar Jammu & Kashmir. The study further underscores the economic assessments like initial investment, fixed cost, operating cost and the returns of the fishermen who operate different gears in the Dal Lake, Jammu & Kashmir.