Abstract:-
Fisheries, as “common pool resources”, present unique management challenges because they are “non–excludable” yet “rivalrous”, which results in overuse and depletion. The sustainable management of fisheries, particularly inland fisheries, is important due to their critical role in livelihood, food security, and economic stability. Community-based management and stocking programmes have emerged as key strategies, with fingerling stocking widely adopted to replenish exploited habitats. This research studies the pond-based fishery resources of Patna district, Bihar, to analyse the intersection of economic and ecological factors. A modified Verhulst–Schaefer bioeconomic model, incorporating fingerling stocking, is employed to estimate growth and harvest functions and to derive sustainable reference points. Results indicate that substantial untapped potential exists, with Maximum Economic Yield (MEY) exceeding current outcomes under disciplined stocking and cooperative governance. In contrast, weak monitoring and political pressures risk pushing the system towards Open Access Yield (OAY), where rents dissipate and ecological damage intensifies. Although actual catches have increased, catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) has improved only modestly, signalling unsustainable management because of spatial discrepancy in the management of the Jalkars, some being overstocked and some understocked, some over exploited, and some underexploited. Results further highlight that carrying capacity is flexible and can be enhanced by stocking programmes, though excessive stocking carries ecological, genetic, and pollution risks.