Illegally catching of fishes is going on unabated in and around the Baikka Beel under Hail Haor, known as a safe and ideal water body for natural fish breeding in Moulvibazar district.
Some unscrupulous local people have put up fences at two points inside a canal connecting the Baikka Beel sanctuary and the Hail Haor, blocking the movement of fishes.
They catch fishes illegally and indiscriminately inside the canal, particularly during the breeding season, hampering fish production, said locals and officials of Resource Management Organisation, an NGO working inside the Baikka Beel sanctuary.
Some residents of Hajipur village under Kalapur union of Sreemangal upazila have illegally confined two areas of the canal where they have been netting fishes for last 10-12 days, they alleged.
As a result, breeding and population of different kinds of local fishes including Rui, Chitol, and Katla, are under threat.
Moniruzzaman Chowdhury, management executive of Climate Regional Eco-System and Livelihood, an NGO looking after the Baikka Beel sanctuary, said they had seen the two fences on November 20.
“Movement of fishes are being obstructed because of these fences put up by some unscrupulous people. But as the canal connecting to the Hail Haor falls outside the Baikka Beel sanctuary, we have nothing to do,” he said.
When contacted, Sreemangal Upazila Fisheries Officer Mahbubur Rahman Khan said: “Under the rules issued by the Department of Fisheries, fishing inside open water bodies is restricted. Those who erect the temporary fences are caught often, however, they come out of jail within a short span of time and get back to the same business again.”
Quoting the Upazila Nirbahi Officer, he said a mobile court will conduct a drive in the area to demolish the illegal barriers. According to the law, the highest punishment for netting fishes by putting fish barriers in haor areas is one year of imprisonment and Tk10,000 fine.
Sreemangal Upazila Nirbahi Officer Saidul Huq said: “I have talked to the upazila fisheries officer. Our officers will visit the Baikka Beel area. A mobile court will conduct a drive as soon as possible.”
