Inland Fisheries: Ecology and Management

Fish from inland waters provide a major source of animal protein, particularly in areas far removed from the sea. The current high demand for fish, and the increased awareness of the role of the environment in supporting human well being, have led to a situation where attitudes to inland water resources are rapidly changing. This change is part of a larger preoccupation for the long-term stability of ecosystems as well as a concern for the capacity of existing freshwater resources to meet human needs.

Policies for conservation and sustainability are being pursued against increasing pressures on natural resources in general. Nowhere are these trends in resource use and environmental impact more evident than in inland waters, which are particularly vulnerable as they act as collectors of all the activities occurring in their basins and rank as some of the most endangered ecosystems in the world. The principal changes influencing the evolution of these vital aquatic resources for fisheries are described in this topical book.

Compiled by Robin Welcomme for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), with contributions from several internationally known and respected scientists, this exciting book covers, in depth, the nature of inland waters, the fish populations that live within them, their utilization by fishing industries, and the fishing techniques that these industries use. Comprehensive coverage is also given to evaluation of resources and social and economic issues, management of fisheries and environment, biodiversity and conservation, enhancement, rehabilitation and legislative issues.

Fully international in its coverage, Inland Fisheries is an essential reference manual for all those involved in inland waterway and fisheries management including fisheries officers, environmental scientists and ecologists, aquatic scientists, those working in rivers and lakes authorities and fish and wildlife departments of governments and universities. Libraries in all research establishments and universities where these subjects are studied and taught should have copies available on their shelves.

Robin Welcomme, a former staff member of FAO, is now based at the Renewable Resources Assessment Group, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, University of London, United Kingdom.

Keywords: TECHNOLOGY & ENGINEERING / Fisheries & Aquaculture TEC049000