Fish capturing has been found as a basis of livelihoods of people whose main occupation is fishing and
capture fishes to meet their daily needs. People capture fishes generally in public sources like river, lakes
and ponds. Koshi River is one of the most important river systems in Nepal and many capture fishers
depend on it. A study in 2062/063 was carried out with the capture fishers of Koshi River from
Hanumannagar, Koshi Barrage to Chatara side. Most of the capture fishers were Mallah/Bin, Mohamdan,
Manda!, Mushar, Majhi, Khatwe, Chamar, Bantar, Mahato, Majhi and Magar ethnic groups. Among 39
sample-capture-fishers the average family size was 7.56 with 3.97 male and 3.59 female members. Average
school year of male was 7 with 1.48 members and that of female was 1. 79 school years with 0.53 female
?'lemb.ers literate in a family. Average operational land holding was 0.21 ha with 60.19 per cent cropping
mtensity and 28 per cent did not have any holding. None of them had fish pond. Capture fishery contributed
to 64 per cent of their total income and average income was found to be Rs. 34259.62/year. On an average
they captured 3.96 kg of fish per day after 4.82 hours fishing and consumed 7.80 kg of fish per month. They
w~re found suffered from paying certain unofficial tips to local authority. None of them were acquainted
With "~quatic Act, 2055" and 61 per cent insisted in community fish farming. They had realized the
decreasmg trend of high value local species and expect the prohibition on use of gill net especially with
small mesh size.

Fish capturing has been found as a basis of livelihoods of people whose main occupation is fishing and
capture fishes to meet their daily needs. People capture fishes generally in public sources like river, lakes
and ponds. Koshi River is one of the most important river systems in Nepal and many capture fishers
depend on it. A study in 2062/063 was carried out with the capture fishers of Koshi River from
Hanumannagar, Koshi Barrage to Chatara side. Most of the capture fishers were Mallah/Bin, Mohamdan,
Manda!, Mushar, Majhi, Khatwe, Chamar, Bantar, Mahato, Majhi and Magar ethnic groups. Among 39
sample-capture-fishers the average family size was 7.56 with 3.97 male and 3.59 female members. Average
school year of male was 7 with 1.48 members and that of female was 1. 79 school years with 0.53 female
?'lemb.ers literate in a family. Average operational land holding was 0.21 ha with 60.19 per cent cropping
mtensity and 28 per cent did not have any holding. None of them had fish pond. Capture fishery contributed
to 64 per cent of their total income and average income was found to be Rs. 34259.62/year. On an average
they captured 3.96 kg of fish per day after 4.82 hours fishing and consumed 7.80 kg of fish per month. They
w~re found suffered from paying certain unofficial tips to local authority. None of them were acquainted
With "~quatic Act, 2055" and 61 per cent insisted in community fish farming. They had realized the
decreasmg trend of high value local species and expect the prohibition on use of gill net especially with
small mesh size.