Effect of Commercial Fishing on Avian Diversity and Activity Patterns of Marabou Stork and African Fish-Eagle in Lake Hawassa

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Date

2018-06-05

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Addis Ababa University

Abstract

This study was conducted in one of the central rift valley Lakes of Ethiopia, in Lake Hawassa to assess the effect of commercial fishing activity on avian diversity and activity patterns of Marabou Stork and African Fish-Eagle in the area. Commercial fishing site was selected as one study site and an area about 2 – 3 km away from the commercial fishing site area was selected as a non-fishing study site. The study was conducted from July 2017 to March 2018 covering both wet and dry seasons. Data collection was carried out by careful and repeated observations in the selected study sites. The result of the study showed that, the avian diversity in the commercial fishing site area of Lake Hawassa was less the avian diversity in the non-fishing site of Lake Hawassa and it was significantly different between seasons ( P < 0.05 ). The major diurnal activity of Marabou Stork in the commercial fishing site and nonfishing site of Lake Hawassa during wet and dry seasons was foraging and it was not significantly different ( P > 0.05 ) between seasons and the between study sites. The diurnal activity patterns of the African Fish-Eagle during both the wet and dry seasons in both study sites of Lake Hawassa had no significant difference ( P > 0.05 ). The study showed that, the commercial fishing activity in Lake Hawassa had significant effect on the avian diversity ( P < 0.05 ). However, the commercial fishing activity did not affect the diurnal activity patterns of the selected species of birds in Lake Hawassa.

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Keywords

African Fish-Eagle, Avian Diversity, Commercial Fishing Activity, Diurnal Activity Patterns and Marabou Stork

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