Fish fry production drops in Halda, say experts
Over the last six decades, the production of fish fry in the country's largest natural fish spawning ground - Halda river - has drastically decreased due to causes both man-made and natural, said experts at a seminar yesterday.
The production dropped all the way from 2,470kg in 1945 to 234kg in 2011, showed statistics presented by Chittagong University zoology department Prof Dr Mohammad Ali Azadi.
The experts said five oxbow-bends, spawning grounds for fishes, in the river were also lost in the period 1928-2002 due to loop cutting by the locals.
As a result, fishes have been spawning in scatter since 2004 causing a loss in fish production, they added.
Department of Fisheries (DoF) organised the daylong seminar styled 'Restoration, enrichment and preservation of the natural spawning ground of the river Halda' in the city's CIRDAP auditorium.
In his keynote presentation, Prof Azadi showed that sluice gates, set on the river for irrigation and flood control at different periods, have blocked 13 out of 16 tributaries of Halda that fell within its 20 km spawning area.
Consequently, the water flow here dropped, blocking fish and egg movement, and the depth reduced due to sedimentation, he said adding that, “Loop cutting should be banned and unused sluice gates should be removed."
The production of fishes like Kalibaush, Rui and Mrigal has dropped drastically due to excessive capture of Kalibaush and Rui illegally by angling, he said.
Thus, selective stocking programme for each fish species should be adopted to increase the production of carps, he suggested.
DoF took up a Tk 13.21 crore project to conserve the natural spawning ground of Halda river in 2007-08 that has been expanded till 2013.
Prof Dr Mukhlesur Rahman Khan of Department of Fisheries Biology and Genetics of Bangladesh Agriculture University recommended stopping selling of sand from Halda river bed, irrigation in Halda basin, catching of brood fish and discharge of industrial effluents into the river.
He also called for banning fishing in the migration routes during the spawning seasons to restore the river's natural breeding ground.
Earlier, Fisheries and Livestock Minister Abdul Latif Biswas and DoF Director General Syed Arif Azad, addressed the seminar among others.
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