New water has come to the rivers, Haors and canals of Kishoreganj, which are known as the largest fishing reservoir of the country. As soon as the water came, the fishermen went down to catch fish. They are fishing with various kinds of forbidden nets.
However, if the local administration does not take effective steps to stop fishing of these mother and egg-laying fish, experts believe that there may be a major crisis in fish production in Kishoreganj in the coming days.
It is learned that mother fishes are being hunted in various ways at the Haor areas, rivers and canals in the 13 upazilas of Kishoreganj. And there is a class of unscrupulous fishermen who have been hunting the mother fishes with banned fishing gears and selling them to the markets ignoring administrative instructions of not fishing in this egg-laying season.
In the last few days, Kishoreganj Sadar, Karimganj, Itna, Mithamain, Austagram, Tarail, Katiadi, Pakundia, Bhairab Upazila rivers, haors and canals have been flooded with water. Puti, Batashi, Tangra, Shoal, Magur and various native species of mother fish with eggs are laying their eggs in that fresh water.
According to the local fisheries office, the mother fish usually lay eggs in June-July. As soon as new water starts coming, the fish start hatching.
At this time fishing is absolutely forbidden. Under the Fisheries Act of 1950, hunting of eggs and mother fish is legally prohibited. But as soon as the water came, the fishermen went down to hunt fish. The fishermen are catching the mother fishes and the eggs are being destroyed.
The mother fish are being sold openly in the markets of Kishoreganj. The Tengra is being sold at Tk 400 per kg, Batasi at Tk 700, Mola at Tk 400, Boal fish at Tk 1,000 and Cat fish at Tk 400 in different fish markets of Kishoreganj although the water bodies of the district are considered as fishing sanctuaries.
Moreover, mother fishes are being caught with different forbidden materials including badai, current and dry net. So, egg-rich Tengra, Batasi, Mrigel, Ghania, Kalbaus, Carp, Magur, Shoal, Puti, Sarputi, Mola, Boal, Taki, Cat fish and other native species of mother fish are being killed openly by unscrupulous fishermen and traders.
District Fisheries Officer Agriculturist Ripon Kumar Paul said some unscrupulous fishermen were catching mother fish due to the influx of fresh water into rivers, Haors and canals. He said they will start drive after miking first. They have already conducted a campaign in the fish yard of Bhairab upazila and fined them. He also mentioned that there is no alternative to protect mother fish.