Banned fishing continues in Hakaluki Haor
Illegal fishing has intensified as the water level in Hakaluki Haor, Asia’s largest wetland, begins to recede. Poachers are indiscriminately catching fish fry in various beels (wetland depressions) using gill nets, current nets (monofilament nets) and other banned fishing gear.
As a result, the fishery resources, aquatic vegetation and biodiversity of Hakaluki Haor are facing a serious threat.Despite ongoing drives by the administration, a section of local fishermen continues to catch fish using banned nets, it was observed.
Reports indicate that about two decades ago, Hakaluki Haor was home to more than 110 species of indigenous fish. The number has now dropped to fewer than 50. Several native species, including magur, rita, nandina, baghair, chital, rani and elong, have nearly disappeared from the haor.
Local environmentalists Muktadir Hossain, Mahfuz Shakil and Mohiuddin Ripon said organised groups of fishermen were freely casting nets and catching fish in Hakaluki Haor every day.
Consequently, they said, the wetland ecosystem is now in a critical state. Fish stocks are being depleted on a large scale as brood fish and fry are being caught in illegal nets.
They said establishing a permanent fish sanctuary under a planned development project is urgently needed to protect the wetland’s environment and biodiversity.
Hakaluki Haor is one of the country’s major sources of fish, with its catch supplied to different parts of the country to meet local demand. Fish from the haor are also considered particularly delicious.
The haor once had a wide variety of fish, including rohu, catla, mrigel, kalo baush, ir, boal, shol, gajar, pangas and ghani, as well as smaller species such as koi, magur, pabda, sing, puti, tengra, bhera and mala.
A wide range of species, including ornamental fish such as rani (loach) and various live fish, were once commonly found in the haor. However, many of these species have now disappeared due to unregulated fishing.
Kulaura Upazila Senior Fisheries Officer Mohammad Abu Masud said, “We are conducting regular drives to protect fish fry in the haor. During several operations, we have seized and destroyed by burning nets measuring more than 12,000 metres in total length.”
He said legal action alone would not be enough and that illegal fishing and the catching of fish fry would stop only if awareness among the people living around Hakaluki Haor could be increased.
On the afternoon of Tuesday, July 28, two fishermen were detained during an operation conducted under the supervision of the Upazila Fisheries Office in the sanctuary area of Hakaluki Haor in Kulaura upazila for illegally fishing with current nets.
Around 2,000 feet of banned nets were seized from them. Following the operation, a total fine of Tk 2,000 was imposed on the fishermen under the fisheries conservation laws, and they were released after paying the fine.
According to the Upazila Fisheries Office, legal action was taken against them for illegal fishing and using banned current nets inside the designated fish sanctuary.
The seized nets, measuring around 2,000 feet, were subsequently destroyed by burning.
Kulaura Upazila Assistant Commissioner (Land) Pronoy Biswas, Kulaura Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Jahirul Islam Munna, Upazila Senior Fisheries Officer Mohammad Abu Masud and Upazila Cooperative officials, including Sona Mohan Biswas, as well as Sub-Inspector (SI) Al Amin, were present during the operation.
The upazila administration and the Department of Fisheries said such drives would continue regularly to conserve the biodiversity and fishery resources of Hakaluki Haor.
Currently, the fish breeding season is underway in various water bodies of the haor, and fish fry have been released there. However, fishermen are allegedly catching and selling fish illegally using banned nets while the breeding process is underway.
Environmentalists and local residents fear that such activities are disrupting the natural breeding cycle and reducing fish production in the haor.
