A checklist of the native fishes of the Dhanu River and adjacent waters at Mithamain Upazila under the Kishoreganj district of Bangladesh is prepared with details on their availability, conservation status, habitat preferences, population trends, and threats. Data were collected monthly by field survey, focus group discussions, and personal interviews by using a semi-structured questionnaire and a pictorial check list of fish species. A total of 91 indigenous fish species of 59 genera belonging to 29 families under 11 orders were documented where 17.6%, 27.5%, 31.9%, and 23.1% species were abundantly available, commonly available, moderately available, and rarely available, respectively. Among those, 24 fish species (26.4%) were under the threatened category (3 critically endangered, 11 endangered, and 10 vulnerable) according to the IUCN Bangladesh. Notably, the globally threatened Cirrhinus cirrhosus, Channa orientalis, and Wallago attu were available in the study area. Fish population trends of 24.2% and 59.3% of the entire fish species were found in decreasing trends at the global and national level, respectively. The leading threats to the fish diversity were indiscriminate overfishing followed by fishing by dewatering of wetlands, the katha fishing method, the use of deprecated fishing gears, etc. Minimizing anthropogenic impacts, enacting fishing laws, installing and managing fish sanctuaries, and raising public awareness can be effective for the conservation of existing fisheries resources.

Bagarius bagarius (Hamilton, 1822) is widely distributed in South and Southeast Asian countries, including Bangladesh. This species is economically important as a game and food fish. The abundance of this fish is declining around the world, especially in Bangladesh, due to a variety of meteorological and mostly anthropogenic factors, which is potentially generating concern among the conservationists. Therefore, this species has already been declared a critically endangered species by IUCN Bangladesh. Although there is no specific conservation initiative for B. bagarius in Bangladesh, various measures are there to conserve fisheries resources, which may have an impact on conserving B. bagarius in this country. This study reviews the biology and ecology with its distribution throughout the country as well as the world, threats, conservation measures, and finds out the gaps in research on this fish. Moreover, this review suggests a suitable conservation framework to improve the conservation strategy for this critically endangered fish that can be replicated in other countries for the same purpose.

Small-scale fisheries play a vital role in the economy of Bangladesh, especially in providing livelihood to fishers and foreign exchange. A study on the socio-economic assessment of small-scale fishing and fish availability in the Kalni River in Habiganj district was conducted for four months from May to August 2023. A total of 58 fishers were randomly selected and interviewed for information gathering and pre-checklisting in focus group discussions (FGDs). Of these, 93% were male and the mean age was 36.89 ± 6.43 years. The results showed that the monthly income of fishers ranged from 10,000-20,000 BDT, 20,000-30,000 BDT, and less than 10,000 BDT. The study collected information on various aspects including the type of fishing gear used and the availability of small indigenous fish (SIS). The main fishing method, 'Ber jal' gear, accounted for 80% of the catch, while 'Dhormo jal' gear accounted for the remaining 20%. During this period, 1-3 types of Puti (Puntius sp.) and (Nandus nandus) Gobiidae family is the most abundant species. Various SISs were caught in the river; some rare species were also identified. Community-based management approach and management of fish sanctuaries, as well as public awareness of fishery resources, could be effective in minimizing anthropogenic impacts on fishers’ livelihood.