Application of High-Resolution Satellite Data for Fisheries Resources Management in South-western Bangladesh: A Case of Rupsha Upazila, Khulna District

A fishery resource inventory is helpful for planning, management, and development of fisheries resources in any region. Therefore, this study has been conducted to identify different types of waterbodies and to delineate fishery resource habitats in the south-western part of Bangladesh (Rupsha Upazila, Khulna District), which plays a crucial role in providing the country’s fish production. In this study, Very High Spatial Resolution (VHSR) satellite data of WorldView-3 were used to identify different types of water bodies and map the extent of those water bodies, using the on-screen digitization techniques. A total of seven different types of waterbodies (river, canal, beel, low-lying area, fish farm, pond, and others) were identified, grouped into open (1,240 ha) and closed (4,198ha) waterbodies. The open waterbody includes river, canal, beel, and low-lying area, which covers 491 ha, 160 ha, 564 ha, and 24 ha, respectively. On the other hand, the closed waterbodies cover, fish farms, ponds, and others, which occupy 3,997 ha, 84 ha, and 118 ha, respectively. After the post-classification, the Kappa coefficient as well as overall accuracy are 0.92 and 95.80%, respectively. Regardless of the digitization techniques employed, this study presents a baseline database of waterbodies in the study area, which will be highly beneficial for planning optimal fisheries resource production and management in the south-western region of Bangladesh, and or in the region of similar interest.