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BANNED FISHING TRAPS

A threat to native fish species
PHOTO: STAR
MIRZA SHAKIL
Native fish stocks are in serious decline due to indiscriminate use of fishing nets nowadays.
Rampant use of a banned fish trap, locally called China Doary, in different waterbodies and rivers in Tangail is threatening the fish resources, especially native mother fishes and fries.
China Doary is more harmful and destructive than any other fishing nets, including the current nets.
Fisheries officials said fishing by such trap or net is completely prohibited to protect native mother fishes and increasing fish production as well.
A section of greedy fishermen, however, use the harmful nets for fishing in different waterbodies and rivers, threatening fish resources, especially the native ones, they added.
Although authorities concern often conduct drives against use of such banned fishing nets, it is too inadequate to prevent the heinous act, they further said.
They also mentioned that it is quite difficult for them to stop use of such banned traps or nets in remote areas due to lack of necessary manpower and logistics.
Moreover, getting cooperation from the law enforcers in this regard is not so easy as well, they added.
China Doary, made with iron rods and thick nets, in more harmful as fishes cannot escape from the trap once they enter it.
People usually set the traps late at the night and lift it in the morning.
Due to rampant use of China nets almost all the fishes are disappeared from the Jamuna river, said Manik Miah, a fisherman from Kakua area in Tangail Sadar upazila.
“Earlier, I used to catch fish worth Tk 3,000 to Tk 5,000 every day, but it is hard to get fish worth Tk 500 to Tk 1,000 nowadays,” Manik said.
Though a section of some greedy people first started using the illegal fishing traps, many dishonest fishermen are now using it, he added.
Another fisherman Narayan Rajbongshi of Mahela village in Kalihati upazila said they often have to return empty handed as almost all the fishes are vanished due to use of illegal fishing nets at different spots of the river.
Both the fishermen and locals use banned fishing traps in different waterbodies and rivers, especially during the monsoon, said Ovijit Ghosh, a rights activist and a resident of Govindasi village in Bhuanpur upazila.
If the production, marketing and use of China nets cannot be stopped immediately, indigenous fish resources will completely disappear from the waterbodies soon, he added.
Contacted, Tangail District Fisheries Officer Abul Kalam Azad said drives are on against use of illegal fishing traps.
A major part of these fishing traps enters the country illegally, while the rest is manufactured locally, especially in Munshiganj.
Such illegal traps are mainly available at different rural markets, he said, adding that people need to stop use of such traps to save our native fish from extinction.