Abstract
In the present study, twenty six species of fishes were recorded from Singhiya river, Morang district, Nepal during January to August (2016). The population present status of important fish species such as Gagata cenia and Lepidocephalus guntea was found to be threatened. Macrognathus pancalus and Mystus bleekeri was to be vulnerable and Glossogobius giuris and Puntius sarana to be intermediate. The Singhiya river have been found to be influenced by harmful human activities such as deforestation, direct waste disposal, discharge of toxic substances-fertilizers, pesticides through surface run-off from the agricultural field near the river and urbanization, industrialization, use of soaps and detergents, indiscriminate fishing, pollution, waste dumping are destroying the fresh water habitat and have been found to threaten the natural environment of fish diversity of Singhiya river which ultimately lead to their extinction and must be stopped or managed in a proper way for the conservation and sustainable utilization of aquatic-bioresources of the river.
Highlights
Nepal is blessed with various water resources having unique aquatic biodiversity
Encroachment on bank areas for waste disposal release of toxic substances in the form of chemical fertilizers and pesticides through surface runoff from the agricultural fields near the river and use of soaps and detergents and some other human activities which have enhanced the deterioration of the physical-chemical characteristics and affected the biotic components of the river. The activities such as, construction of dams without provision of fish ladders preventing the free movement of fishes, which move upstream for breeding purposes and indiscriminate fishing including brood fishes during their breeding season having depleted populaton of fishes and threatened their existence
Singhiya river had a rich fish diversity and other aquatic bioresources before thirty years ago which rapidly decline in riverine fisheries and may threatening their existence
Summary
Nepal is blessed with various water resources having unique aquatic biodiversity. The water resources of Nepal include many rivers, streams, lakes, reservoirs and ponds. Among them Singhiya river is a good source of fish diversity It is a large and most important river of Morang district. Though Singhiya river had a rich fish diversity and other aquatic bioresources before three decades ( thirty years); which are rapidly declination and probably at a rate which may endanger (threatening) their existence. The causes for their declination and are lack of proper knowledge and / or ignorance about the fish biology to the fisherman, local people and local authorities. "The criteria laid out by international union for conservation of Nature and Natural resources, "IUCN (1994) [6]" was followed for assessment of
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