Mindless catching depletes small indigenous fishes
Indiscriminate catching of fishes, including small indigenous ones from open water bodies, especially during recession of water at the end of the rainy season, badly affects the species. The photo was taken from a flood plain in Shahjadapur union of Sarail upazila under Brahmanbaria district recently.Photo: STAR
With water receding from flood plane and low lying areas, the end of the rainy season sees widespread catching of small indigenous fishes, including young ones, much to the harm of fish stock in different areas of the district. According to district fisheries office sources, there are 48,000 hectares of flood plane and 56,327 hectares of open water bodies including 176 beels (large water bodies) in the district. During the rainy season, various fishes including indigenous ones enter the flood planes and beels where they breed and grow up by eating natural foods. Different kinds of local fishes including dankina, tith puti, dela, chalia, chang lata, balitura, ektuta kakila, elong, kuksa, hiralo, chabchela, anju, modu dankina, bata, tatkini, sor puti, kanchon puti, jili puti, jat puti, teri puti, kala bata, panga, phari gutum, rani, puma, rita, sing, magur, pabda, bash pata, bacha, kaliara, chanda, naftani, koi, baicha, gura chanda, meni, bailla, naptani, and baim have already become rare here. District fisheries office released 445 kg fry of small indigenous fishes at open water body during last rainy season to help their breeding and protect the species from extinction. The authorities also released 4,653 kg of fry of different varieties of big fishes to increase the fish production in the district. Four billboards were also erected to create awareness among the common people. The villagers were also asked not to catch fish fry and not to use current net for fishing. But they hardly follow the instruction. During visit to several spots in the district, this correspondent found the villagers indiscriminately catching different kinds of fishes with nets, traps, hooks and rods. The children were seen catching fishes by making several holes under knee deep water in the mud where the fish take shelter after being chased by the kids in large area covered with knee deep water. According to district fisheries office sources, 42,248 tonnes of fishes are produced in the district but the present demand is a bit higher. Of the amount, 15,615 tonnes come from open water bodies but indiscriminate fishing leaves the fish stock in a vulnerable position. To protect the small indigenous fishes by providing them suitable environment for breeding, two fish sanctuaries have been set up in Titas River -- one near Kainchonpur Bazar in Sadar upazila and the other at Kagmari village under Banchharampur upazila. However, no such initiative has been taken in seven other upazilas under the district. A section of unscrupulous villagers secretly catch fish even from the fish sanctuaries, hampering fish breeding. "Once we caught huge amount of small indigenous fishes as well as a good number of big fishes by boat from Beel Shapla but it is only a dream now. Still the government earns over Tk 15 lakh yearly revenue from the fishermen who take lease of the beel," said Probhat Chandra Das, a fisherman of Shahjadapur village. “We are gradually being dependent on farm fishes like pangas and telapia because small indigenous fishes are being exhausted due to random fishing by people. Besides, some 'hunter' fishes like Thai magur and piranha causes immense harm to the fish stock," Porimal Das, a village doctor, said. To prevent illegal catching of fish including fry, at least eight mobile courts were set up during last rainy season and 70,000 metres of current net were burnt, said Sawpon Kumar Sarker, district fisheries officer. Gradually all the upazilas of the district will be taken under the fish sanctuary project to save all kinds of small indigenous fishes and the young ones of big fishes, he said.
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