Dibru-Saikhowa National Park: Present status and future needs!

Dr. Ranjita Bania

            The Dibru-Saikhowa National Park of Upper Brahmaputra Basin has been traditionally regarded as fish granary till a decade ago. But these resources are threatened by both natural as well as anthropogenic factors. Increasing dependence of the local community to the bioresources demands sustainable utilization and protection of the aquatic resources to mitigate the anthropogenic activities.

Long term exploitation and suitable protection strategies to the aquatic resources call for the knowledge of fish germplasm along with their diversity and present status. Investigation of both the lentic and lotic systems help the decision makers to adopt proper management policy providing them database of the biota. At the same time, conservation and sustainable management of aquatic resources involves an integrated management approach in terms of biotic and anthropogenic relationships. It involves scientific, management, economic as well as social aspects which could jointly provide a fairly good picture of the way to the decision makers, managers, stakeholders and civil society to address resource management for their benefit as well as  for future generation. The work would serve as a database for providing local stakeholders alternative livelihood options which involve them in conservation of resources and aquaculture development programme along with economic security. However, this would minimize the pressure on the wild stock switching it over to culture fishery and formulate the way for insitu conservation of the bioresources. Awareness campaigns would be able to divert the mind of resource dependent people towards conservation by making them recognize the value of the resources surrounding them.

Resource management in a sustainable manner could be possible if awareness campaign, provision for basic civil amenities and options for alternative livelihood run in a parallel way. In view of the available resources vocational training, ecotourism, animal husbandry, poultry farming, captive breeding of aquarium fish, short term fish culture, bee keeping, horticulture, production of organic manure, propagation of ornamental plants and insects and promotion of handicraft business are suggested for conservation and sustainable use of ichthyofauna as well as the biodiversity.