Fishermen happy as native fish abundant in Hakaluki Haor
Native fish have been increasing gradually in Hakaluki Haor, much to the delight of local fishermen in three upazilas.
According to fisheries office in Moulvibazar, fish production in the portion of the haor that falls under Kulaura, Barlekha and Juri upazila of the district was 32.5 thousand tonnes in 2014, 34.3 thousand in 2015, 35.7 thousand in 2016, 40.1 thousand in 2017 and 41.6 thousand tonnes last year.
The office also claimed that 112 species of fish are now found in Hakaluki Haor compared to 106 species found in a survey conducted by the International Union for Conservation of Nature in 2006.
During a recent visit to Dakhinbazar market in Kulaura upazila headquarters, this correspondent found different local varieties of fish including shing (stinging catfish), magur (walking catfish), tengra (mystus), bele (scribbled gobi), baim (tyre-track eel), puti (swamp barb) and koi (climbing perch).
Shipon Das, a fisherman from Bhukshimoil village in Kulaura, told this correspondent that, beforehand, they used to catch only half kilogram of local fish per day in the haor.
But over the last couple of years, the fish population has multiplied. Now they can catch around two to three kilograms of native fish per day, he claimed.
The temporary ban on fishing, release and maintenance of fries by the government, after the huge loss of fish in the flash flood in 2017, helped revive the fish population in the haor, Shipon said.
Everyday huge quantities of local fish are coming from the Haor and fish traders are getting profit beyond their expectation, said Mujibur Rahman, a wholesale fish trader at Magura area in Kulaura upazila.
Kulaura Upazila Senior Fisheries Officer Mohammad Sultan Mahmud said over and unplanned fishing using fine nets, use of harmful pesticides in farmlands, construction of roads and houses by filling canals and water bodies and unplanned irrigation projects and construction of dams mainly causes the extinction of local fish species.
Besides, fish breeding is being hampered due to rampant netting of brood fish and fries, he added.
Md Emdadul Haque, district fisheries officer in Moulvibazar, said it is possible to protect the local varieties if people catch fish as per the law.
Dr M M Mahbub Alam, chairman of Fish Health Management department in Sylhet Agricultural University, told this correspondent that native fish is richer in nutrition, quality and taste.
“We should take steps to save these species. We need to sanction extensive studies to explore their commercial viability and rescue water bodies to save native fish from extinction,” he said.
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