SYLHET, June 5: Acute scarcity of fish has been prevailing throughout the district for the last few months.

A number of leading traders of fish told that pisciculture in the district had been badly affected due to massive siltation of the rivers Surma. Kushlyara Manu, Sonal, Plain. Khowat, Gowain. Sari, Chela and others and in the different beds, canals and haors for long. Unplanned use of chemical fertilizers and Insecticides in the crop fields has also affected seriously. The growth of different kinds of fish creating scarcity of the same and fall in the production.

On the otherhand, thousands of fishermen in the district have been facing numerable problems including shortage of funds and price hike of fishing materials. It may be mentioned here that, previously different kinds of fish were available in abundance In the ponds, beels and rivers of the district but now the situation had totally been changed due to indiscriminate fishing by the mighty non-flshermen people.

A number of fishermen said, the existence of the professional fishermen is at stake and as a result, some of them have left their profession. Some others had migrated to other places for better earning and survival.

Meanwhile, the price of meat has shot up due to the scarcity of fish in the markets at the same time prices of fishes had Increased much causing much inconveniences to the people in general, especially, the low-income group and middle-class ones.