Fresh water fishes unavailable more than before

BSS, Barguna :
The availability of fresh water fish is not sufficient this season. Varieties of fresh water fish were found in abundance in the markets in the district in the recent past.
Sources said this is because of indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers in agriculture, filling up of ponds and some other related reasons.
Indigenous species of fish of freshwater particularly Koi, Magur, Shing, Puti, Bowal, Sorputi, Showl and Bain are facing extinction due to use of chemical fertilizers.
Moreover, mother fish of such indigenous species are being caught indiscriminately. In this situation, scarcity of fresh water fish has pushed up their prices.
While visiting local markets it was observed that, fish like Magur, Koi, Showl and Puti are being sold at Taka 600, 450, 300 and 150 per kg respectively.
An officer of District Fisheries Department of Barguna Jayanto Kumar Opu said production of traditional fishes in the river, pond, beel and haor area are decreasing while output of aquaculture fishes are increasing gradually.