Study design considerations for assessing the health of fish populations impacted by agriculture in developing countries: a Sri Lankan case study.

Studies on the use of indigenous or endemic fish species for the assessment of agricultural impacts on fish populations are lacking in tropical South and Southeast Asia. This paper describes the steps involved in developing an agricultural impacts assessment program focused on river health, using recent studies on wild fish in Sri Lanka. The assessment methodology includes the selection of fish species for monitoring, and development of a strategy for sample timing, sample size requirements, and selection of appropriate reference site(s).