A survey should be made of major irrigation schemes to investigate the relationship between fish communities in irrigation systems and their source waters.
Plankton communities in irrigation canals should be investigated, with a view to establishing what levels of fish production these communities could sustain. With this information rational management decisions could be made concerning canal-based capture fisheries.
A survey should be undertaken to document fish production techniques currently employed in irrigation systems. This should include a socio-economic evaluation of each system.
Water management strategies must be considered in detail, to establish the most suitable types of fish production system for a variety of water management regimes.
Consideration should be given as to how methods of fish production could be integrated, at the design stage, into irrigation systems.
It would be of particular benefit to establish a pilot scheme, in a tropical country, to study the different options for fish production in irrigation canals, especially through aquaculture, in the light of the problems highlighted in this review.
