PABNA, Oct 19: Miniature fish species are being massively threatened due to set up of nets and bamboo-made enclosures at different points of Chalan Beel after receding water from last couple of week.
According to Fisheries Preservation Act 1950 it is prohibited to catch fish with dam and banned net in the open water body during the season. Meanwhile, government pronounced one or two year imprisonment for catching the fish applying the trap.
This illegal setting up nets and bamboo enclosures to catch fish is also disrupting the flow of water normally, claim inhabitant of the area. Bamboo enclosures and nets have been set up illegally on around 30 acres of the beel in Dharmagasa bridge point from the last few days, they also demand.
Around 25 big fishing projects in the waterbody using fishing nets and bamboo enclosures for catching fish that threatened increase in fish production at Somaj, Handial, Chaikola, Dharmagasa, Char-Nabin, and Mirzapur villages of the region.
"The local Awami-backed influential people in Chatmohar upazila have been occupied some 300 square-kilometre waterbody defying administrative monitoring," said member secretary of Chalan Beel preservation procession committee Mizanur Rahman.
He also said more than 25 big fishing projects have been set up illegally with nets and bamboo enclosures, hindering flow of water, causing serious problem for common people.
Motaleb Miah, a fish trader, said he established this project with permission from the local fishery office. He is expecting to catch at least 250 maunds of fish from this point by December.
High official of Fishery Department (FD) said the fish protection drives are being continued to remove the illegal structures from the water body. But, genuine fishermen of the area are permitted to catch fish from 15 points of the beel, without halting the flow of water, FD added.
