Decline in fish population can crumble economy, ecology

  • 20/05/2008

  • Sentinel (Guwahati)

Despite fish being a favourite dish among the people of Asom the annual production is around 1.75 lakh tonnes only against the total requirement of 2.95 lakh tonnes. Moreover, a lion share of the local fish have dried up, thereby creating a lacuna in supply and demand and compelling the State to get imported fish supply from Andhra Pradesh and other States. Nagaon district in particular has abundant natural beels. Private fisheries, rivers and wetlands here have a lion share to meet the State's demand. The forest reserves including Lawkhowa, Bagori and wildlife sanctuaries have colossal beels too. But negligence of the Government on one hand and illegal fishing carried out by Bangladeshis who were allegedly sheltered by the authority concerned has led to the present denigrating situation in fish supply. It is alleged that the people carrying the nefarious activity who have also encroached the reserved forest lands are earning huge amounts from the fisheries in the forests. It is reported that if the Government remain passive these fisheries will be turned into "fishers' fisheries' as even the fingerlings are not spared. With the aim to protect the fishes during the breeding period for procreation the Government has issued a prohibitionary directive banning the catching and selling of fishes with spawn between May to September everywhere in the State. Killing fishes during the breeding season will affect the ecology as well as bring down the piscean population. The fishery department has expressed concern that the whole scenario may have adverse effect on the economy of the district and the State. Nagaon Upabholta Surakhya Samity opined that if this trend continues for a few more years, a time may come when fish will become a rare commodity and a mammoth number of fishermen will loss their bread. The Samity urged the Government to take stringent action against the offenders and the Forest Department to stop illegal fishing, particularly the forest beels. The Samity stressed unless timely intervention is taken, the economy as well as ecology of the State will go beyond redemption.