CHATTOGRAM, Dec 24: Government has declared the river Halda as Bangabandhu Fisheries Heritage.
The Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock issued a circular on Thursday in this regard.
In the circular, the ministry declared the river Halda and also the 23,422 acres of land adjoining the banks of the river as Bangabandhu Fisheries Heritage.
The declaration will aid in preserving the fishes and environment of Halda from pollution and damaging of bio-diversity.
According to the Gazette, 12 restrictions will be applicable for the river Halda once it has been declared Bangabandhu Fisheries Heritage.
The restrictions are nobody can catch fishes from the Halda, people can only collect eggs during the season under the supervision of fisheries department, none can hamper the bio-diversity at Halda, nobody can pollute the water of the river, nobody can discharge garbage to the river, nobody can change the natural navigation of the river, none can catch fishes from 17 canals of the Halda during the brooding season, no dam can be set up on the Halda and no project will be taken to collect water from the Halda, no engine boats can run during the brooding season, the river can be used only for research work etc.
Halda is the only river in the country where fishermen can collect fertilised eggs from the river bed and arrange for them to hatch later on, whereas only hatched fish fries (young fish) -- and not fertilised eggs-can be caught in other rivers.
Halda is believed to be one of the most important rivers in Bangladesh for the fishing industry because of its once abundant supply of eggs of freshwater fish such as carp, rohu, katla, mrigal etc., and conditions suitable for the brood (egg-laying).
During the British Rule in India, Halda fish eggs were exported to then Burma and other parts of India. In the 1960s and 70s, two-thirds of the ponds in Bangladesh used spawn from the Halda to fill their fish populations.
The Halda flows through Raozan, Hathazari and Fatikchhari upazilas in Chattogram.
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