2025-11-272025-11-272025Debasish Saha, Nishita Mojumder, Shuvagato Mondal, Md Nahiduzzaman, Mohammad Rahman, Abdullah-Al Mamun, Wahab Abdul. (15/2/2025). Combining Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) and Conventional Scientific Knowledge (CSK) for Exploring Nursery Grounds and Spawning Biology of Yellowtail Catfish Pangasius pangasius in the Meghna River Estuary, Bangladesh. Fisheries Management and Ecology, 32 (1).0969-997Xhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12348/6715The yellowtail catfish (Pangasius pangasius) population in Bangladesh is facing imminent threats that led to endangered status. We used conventional scientific knowledge (CSK) and local ecological knowledge (LEK) of fishers (n = 155) to identify nursery grounds and spawning seasons of yellowtail catfish in the Meghna river estuary. Nineteen nursery grounds were pinpointed using fishers' LEK (confluence/influent zone, current, depth, catch data, and turbidity) and later validated by CPUE data. The peak spawning season was identified in July–September based on GSI (gonadosomatic index) and LEK (58.06% of fishers identified the spawning season). Fecundity (810,980 ± 455,679) and condition factor (0.94–1.52) were quantified with CSK. Using CSK and LEK to delineate nursery grounds and spawning season underscores the value of LEK as a tool for fish population management that deserves policy recommendation and wider application.Copyrighted; all rights reservedcoastal managementJournal Articlehttps://doi.org/10.1111/fme.12746