The Chilika Development Authority (CDA) in collaboration with The Fishing Cat Project (TFCP) recently concluded a fishing cat population estimation in Chilika lake.
In what is called the world’s first population estimation of the fishing cat that was conducted outside the protected area network of the lake, a total of 176 cats were found.
The estimation was conducted in two phases. Phase-I was conducted in 2021 in the 115 sq km marshland present in the north and north-eastern section of Chilika and its surrounding area, while Phase II was conducted in 2022 in Parikud side along the coastal islands of Chilika. Both phases combined, a total of 150 camera traps were deployed with each staying in the field for 30 days.
“The Spatially Explicit Capture Recapture (SECR) method was used to analyse the data. It was truly participatory in spirit since local fishermen and villagers of Chilika were the primary participants in the exercise,” Chief Executive Officer, CDA Susanta Nanda said.
“Wetlands in Asia are being lost at alarmingly rapid rates and proper data on their current status or even baseline data in many countries are missing. The status of many wetland species remains understudied and highly threatened. Tracking specialist species such as the fishing cat gives us an indication of what might be happening to these ecosystems, which are safeguards against climate change and droughts,” said co-founder, TFCP Tiasa Adhya.
“In collaboration with TFCP, we are soon going to share a Fishing Cat Action Plan that is socio-ecological in essence. We have already begun a year-long patrolling and monitoring programme on the cat and its sympatric species. Along with upscaling it, we will promote sustainably and traditionally harvested wetland products to prevent wetland conversion, establish a rescue and rehabilitation centre, promote small scale experiential and educative wetland tourism, adopt habitat restoration as well as education programmes,” informed Nanda.