Fish diversity and Socio-economic status of the fish traders at Notun bazar Fish market, Dhaka

Abstract

The study aimed to assess the diversity of fish sold at the Notun Bazar fish market and the socio-economic conditions of the traders. Direct observations with 15-day intervals from August to October 2025 were used for data collection. In total 56 species of fish were recorded, where the freshwater fish species were dominant with the order Cypriniformes (32%) and Siluriformes (36%), followed by Perciformes (10%), Clupeiformes (9%), Decapoda (8%), Gobiiformes (2%), Osteoglossiformes (1%), Beloniformes (1%), Synbranchiformes (1%) respectively. The majority of recorded fish species (65.45%) were Least Concern, while 25.45% threatened and 9.09% exotic fish. The socio-economic study revealed that the fish trade was the primary source of livelihood for most fish traders. Half (50%) of traders’ monthly income was between BDT 13,500 and 20,000, while only 15% of traders' monthly income was above BDT 30,000. About 55% of traders lived in temporary houses, marking their socio-economic vulnerability. The importance of interlinkages among fish diversity, the livelihoods of fish traders, and a holistic approach to fish diversity conservation, as well as socio-economic resilience in fish markets, has been underscored by this study.

Jahangirnagar University J. Biol. Sci. 14(1 & 2): 93-102, 2025 (June & December)