Brood fishes (mother fishes) of some indigenous fish species such as Ruhi, Katal, Mrigel and Kaliboush have released some quantity of eggs at some places of the Halda River in Chittagong for the second time on Friday, fishing department sources said.
There was some delay in spawning by fishes this year due to late rainfall, though usually the mother fishes release eggs at Halda during March-June period each year, officials and local fishermen said.
The Halda River in Chittagong has been considered as the only natural breeding ground in the world where these species of fish release their eggs at a certain period of the monsoon and fry-collectors catch those eggs through a unique method to sale it among the fish farmers across the country.
Fishermen and experts apprehended that more brood fishes would migrate here soon and release eggs in coming rainy season.
At least 1,200 fishermen with 600 boats who have been waiting for the event for last two months in Halda River were seen collecting eggs, the source added.
Normally, the fishermen kept the collected eggs inside water body on the bank of the river for four days as part of their process to have fish-fries and after the process is completed, the fish-fries are sold at about Tk20,000 to Tk 24,000 per kilogram.
The Halda River wore a festive look when the egg collectors and local fishermen on-boarding several hundreds boats started collecting eggs from different points of the river including Kagtia, Kashemnagor, Mobarakkhal, Ajimer Ghat, Onkurighona, Dakkhin and Paschim Gahira, Abur Khil, Khalifarghona, Paschim Binajuri, Urkir Char and Napiter Ghat of Raojan upazila and Garduara, Amtoa and Madrasa area of Hathajari upazila.
During the month of March and April, different brood carp fishes like Ruhi, Katala, Mrigel and Kaliboush from Karnaphuli, Sangu and Chankhali rivers of Chittagong start migrating to river Halda in a bid to release eggs. The major carp fishes of River Halda also keep them ready for spawning.
At a suitable juncture of ‘Joe’ (full-moon night and dark fortnight) and in congenial weather condition accompanied by rainfall during the brood fishes start releasing fertilised eggs (locally known as Swarna Renu - gold sperm) in the river Halda.
