Challenges for Sustainable Use of the Fish Resources from Lake Balkhash, a Fragile Lake in an Arid Ecosystem

Steven G. Pueppke, Margulan K. Iklasov, Volker Beckmann, Sabir T. Nurtazin, Niels Thevs, Sayat Sharakhmetov and Buho Hoshino
Additional contact information
Steven G. Pueppke: Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, Center for Global Change and Earth Observations, and Center for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies, Michigan State University, 1066 Bogue Street, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
Margulan K. Iklasov: Department of Biodiversity and Bioresources, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, 71 Al-Farabi Avenue, 050040 Almaty, Kazakhstan
Volker Beckmann: Faculty of Law and Economics & Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology, University of Greifswald, Soldmannstr 15, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
Sabir T. Nurtazin: Department of Biodiversity and Bioresources, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, 71 Al-Farabi Avenue, 050040 Almaty, Kazakhstan
Niels Thevs: World Agroforestry Centre, Central Asia Office, 138 Toktogol Street, 720001 Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
Sayat Sharakhmetov: Department of Biodiversity and Bioresources, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, 71 Al-Farabi Avenue, 050040 Almaty, Kazakhstan
Buho Hoshino: Department of Environmental and Symbiotic Science, Rakuno Gakuen University, 069-6501 Ebetsu, Japan

Sustainability, 2018, vol. 10, issue 4, 1-15

Abstract: Lake Balkhash is the largest water body in Central Asia. More than three-quarters of its inflow comes from the Ili River, which is under increasing strain due to the diversion of water for energy and food production. Commercial fishing in Lake Balkhash began in 1929 and is currently in a state of crisis. The construction of the Balkhash dam and reservoir in the late 1960s reduced Ili River flows into the lake and upset the natural cycle of spring floods, which greatly reduced spawning and feeding areas for carp ( Cyprinus carpio ). Carp populations were consequently reduced by more than 90% during the filling of the reservoir and have not recovered, even though the lake’s level subsequently rose. Catches of carp and freshwater bream ( Abramis brama orientalis ) have shown an inverse relationship since the 1960s, and the age structure of freshwater bream is changing. Historically, most captured fish of this species were 4- to 7-years-old, but smaller, 3- to 5-year-old fish have dominated recent catches. The total fish harvest from Lake Balkhash is currently at near historical lows, not just because of environmental factors, but also because of structural changes triggered by the collapse of the Soviet Union. Poaching, government disinterest, lack of enforcement of fishing regulations, and the economic challenges faced by today’s small fishing enterprises all contribute to the problem.

Keywords: arid river basins; Lake Balkhash; Ili River delta; hydrological regimes; fisheries; overfishing; poaching (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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