Shahneawz Khan Sumon
Twenty Eight species of indigenous fish have become extinct in Jhenaidah district during the last 8 to 10 years, a source at the Department of Fisheries said. Drying up of rivers, pollution and indiscriminate use of pesticides and insecticides for agriculture, lack of flow in water bodies, filling up of ponds, canals and change in the course of rivers are primary reasons for the disappearance of indigenous fish species, said the department.According to Mozzamel Haque, Survey Officer of the Department of Fisheries, in 2013, about 1414.91 metric tons of fish were produced in the rivers and 25,955 metric tons of fish were produced in various haors, canals and other water bodies of the district, after releasing 1106 kilograms of fish in the year 2012. Six years ago, the production in 2006 was 16194.91 metric tons. While the figure shows an increase in production, it was only possible due to the release of a large number of fish fry in the water bodies and does not indicate a natural growth, the department sources said.
Fishermen, and fish traders in particular are suffering as the quantity of fish they used to catch from rivers and open water bodies have declined sharply over the years. Soleman Ali, a fisherman of Kolabazaar in Kaliganj municipality area said, he has been in this profession for the last 33 years. He meets up his family expenses by catching fish in the river ‘Begobati’ and sells fish at the municipality market. Soleman says the river used to be full of water during the rainy season and plenty of fish could be caught. Fish like ghora mukhya, nandil, kulsa, bhorkhol, tengra and kajuli, gutum, korika, boal, puti, torrent catfish, tengra, chhoto koi and tila shol-were available in the river. But now, Soleman and many other fishermen like him are passing difficult days as the quantity of fish in the river has decreased greatly. Fishermen say it has now become difficult to survive and run their families. As a result, many of them have switched their profession, Soleman Ali added.
Intaz Uddin Biswas, 50, a fisherman of Tikari village in Sadar upazila told this correspondent that after netting fish for a whole day, he can only catch about half kilogram of small fish from the river ‘Fotki’ that flows beside his village. Just 10 years back, he used to get a huge quantity of fish on the net in the monsoon but now there is only water in the river, said Intaz.
Another fisherman, Nogen Das of Pobohati village in Jhenaidah municipality, told this correspondent that the indigenous species of fish have rapidly been disappearing in the downstream of the Noboganga River due to poor water flow and excessive fishing.
He added that mola, chela, darkina, pathorchata, joiya, ghora machh, baitka and mohashol are now found only rarely in the river.
Fisheries Officer Shonkor Chandra Haldar said thirteen rivers are the main water supply sources in the district. Of them, Buri Boirob, Bang, Betna, Kopotakkho, Gorai, Noboganga and Isamoti are the main. But twelve of these are drying up and have lost their depth significantly. As a result, various indigenous fish species are now lost.
Fish trader Motiar Ali says he no longer sells indigenous fish as these get caught only rarely. He now sells Telapia, hybrid Koi, Pangas, Bata, Taki, Puti, Shor-Puti, Rui, Katla, Mrigale in the market. When he gets indigenous fish on rare instances, he always sells those at a high price as these have a high demand.
Sources at the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) in Jhenaidah said, among the 13 rivers that flow through the district, paddy is cultivated on river-beds of all except the Gorai. All these rivers have lost their normal flow over the last 10 years. Besides, Kumar and Kali rivers that flow through Shailkupa upazila also lose their depth during the dry season.
As the rivers do not have enough water, waves do not occur, which prevents oxygenation and hinders the natural growth of fish. The sources added that local people also pollute the rivers in various ways due to a lack of awareness. Farmers use pesticides and insecticides indiscriminately for agriculture. But these hazardous chemical eventually end up in rivers, polluting the water and killing fish population. According to locals, illegal grabbing of land on river banks and in dry rivers at various places is one of the main reasons behind the decreased in fish population and extinction of indigenous fish species. They say that fish like boal, shoil, katla and chital are no more found in plenty during monsoon as they were in the past. Big fish of indigenous species now find it difficult to survive in these waters, said locals.
(Shahneawz Khan Sumon has sent this write from Jhenaidah)
