Various measures for resource enhancement, conservation and management have been tried in Bangladesh in order to prevent the decline of fisheries resources. The needs of Bangladesh’s poor fisher community to eat what they catch and lack of a legal legislative framework means this situation can only worsen. Hope is offered by new conservation initiatives including habitat restoration, enhancement of depleting fish stocks, transferral of fishing rights and establishment of fish sanctuaries at strategic points.

India produces 4.6 million tonnes of fish annually from its inland water bodies, of which 1 million tonnes originates from enhancement and capture fisheries of open waters. Reservoirs of all categories together produce 94,000 tonnes of fish against a potential of nearly 1 million tonnes. Ownership of inland water bodies vests with the government and the fishing rights of reservoirs and beels are given to individuals, groups and communities according to norms that vary across the states.

Fisheries resources conservation development in Indonesia is based on the protection of endangered and vulnerable freshwater species and maintaining biodiversity integrity, and has been developed with community participation. In order to increase the population and diversification of fish species in inland waters stock enhancement has been carried out since the Dutch occupation when more than 17 species were stocked in inland waters in Indonesia.

Early attempts of fisheries enhancement in Sri Lankan freshwaters were aimed at establishing commercial fisheries. A fisheries enhancement strategy was introduced to village reservoirs of the country in 1980s on a trial basis. Presently, inland fisheries enhancement strategies in Sri Lanka are practiced in seasonal reservoirs and minor perennial reservoirs. The annual CBF production from these reservoirs is about 6 600 tonnes, accounting for about 17 percent of the inland fisheries production.

Inland aquatic ecosystems in China have been largely influenced by the large-scale economic activities and over-exploitation of aquatic resources. A wide range of fisheries resource enhancement and conservation activities have been carried out throughout China. This presentation reviews the history and practices and analyses the problems and insufficient in inland fisheries resource enhancement and conservation in China, and finally recommends some suggestions on technology and operation in order to sustain inland fisheries resources.