ICAR-CIFRI has been continuously working to develop wetland fisheries in a transdisciplinary knowledge-to-action mode to upscale the livelihood of vulnerable small-scale fishermen communities. The integrated development approach was initiated in different lower Gangetic floodplain wetlands of North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, India, to increase the fish production and socio-economic development of small-scale fishermen communities of the wetlands. Duma is one of the most extensive horseshoe-shaped wetlands in Asia. To augment the fish production from this wetland, the pen culture system was adopted by the fishers under the supervision of ICAR-CIFRI in 2021. Within a year, they received 15 tons of commercial fish, valued at around 30 lakhs apart from the small indigenous fish. It has recently been advised that auto-stocked, high-value minor carp in the wetland be adopted to improve income and conserve small indigenous species. In this article, SDG 14 (Life below water) addresses sustainable ecosystem management and livelihood enhancement for the wellbeing of the local people (SDG 3). Nutritional security of the local people is maintained through the small indigenous fish species which is crucial for addressing ‘No hunger’ as per SDG-2. The research also proves that women can play a crucial role in small-scale fisheries and they can economically stand alone, which is the main aim of SDG-5 (gender equality). However, significant issues such as lack of jurisdictional coordination, ecological changes, inequitable distribution of benefits, and income reduction persist in wetland management. The need for urgent reformation of policy and resource management systems is crucial to boost the economic efficiency of the SSF in the wetland. Training for more knowledge on fishing and fish farming, acquiring alternative livelihood and education on financial management should be brought to the fishermen’s communities. These could develop a resilient community that is more equipped to respond to future crises.

Small indigenous fish (SIF) production from wetlands provides nutritious food and supports the livelihood of the fishing community. The present study investigated the fish production trend, SIF diversity, and role of environmental and climatic parameters in Beledanga, a floodplain wetland in lower Ganges, through the sampling and collection of data from the local fishermen cooperative society. The fish catch composition in the wetland shifted after 2019, with the increased Ctenopharyngodon idella (grass carp) contribution from 11% to 17% due to the introduction of in situ seed-raising technology of an HDPE (high-density polyethylene) pen culture system. The fish fingerling stocking has a profound impact on fish production (R² = 0.60, p = 0.007). During the study period, 19 species of SIF were recorded, with a higher abundance observed in the monsoon season. The naturally occurring SIF contributed 16% of the total fish catch, with the highest catch in 2011 (11,970 kg). Water pH and phosphate content are the two most important environmental parameters that influence SIF. The generalized additive model (GAM) indicated that the optimum annual rainfall for fish production in the wetland was between 750 and 1250 mm. The average annual fish production of 43,017 kg through stocking and SIF support the livelihood and nutritional security of the fishers. As the SIF showed a decreasing trend of production, habitat protection, scientific stocking, and in situ enclosure culture are recommended for sustainable enhancement of fish production and to conserve the SIF diversity.

This study examined the wetland ecology, institutional frameworks, and governance mechanisms for managing self-recruiting small indigenous fishes (SIFs) across four wetlands in the lower Gangetic plain, a region bridging the Himalayan and Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspots. Using a mixed-method approach, data were gathered through semi-structured interviews with 100 respondents from the fisher community, focus group discussions, unpublished records, and direct observations. The findings revealed a lack of systematic institutional mechanisms in three wetlands, possibly due to their small size, which fostered informal regulations among community members. The Chamardaha (35.813) wetland received a low score in an Ecosystem Health Index (EHI; range: 0–100) and the others, viz., Beledanga (53.813), Kumil (45.237), and Panchita (54.989), received a medium score. A wide range of significant (p < 0.05) effect sizes (β = −0.20 to 0.65) was found for the different governance parameters on sustainability and average per capita income of fisher society. Our investigation showed that 90% to 76% of the harvested SIFs were sold and the rest were consumed within the fisher community to meet part of their nutritional needs. According to the fishers’ perception, a reduction of more than 50% in the availability of the SIF population was observed compared to its previous levels. The proposed governance model emphasizes women’s roles in the fisher community and aims to improve economic outcomes, nutritional security, biodiversity conservation, and ecological services. This is the first study to document SIF utilization patterns and their link to local governance in the lower Gangetic ecoregion’s inland open waters. The findings are expected to advance wetland fisheries governance research.