Contaminated fishes can be released in rivers for purification instead of killing: Expert

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Fishes that are cultivated in poisonous lagoon water could be released in rivers or sweet water for purification instead of killing those in these days of huge scarcity of fish, said a fisheries expert Friday, reports UNB.
"Proper management is necessary to do this. But the question is who will do it," said Mohammad Shafi, founder chairman of Fisheries Department of Dhaka University.
He said if the contaminated fishes live in river water or sweet water for one year these would be purified and become eatable.
"As far as I know, the Ministry concerned has no such plan to save the contaminated fishes," Shafi said, adding that such a step would not be difficult, as transportation has now become easier.
"All sorts of poisonous chemicals will go out from the tissues of contaminated fishes if they live one year in river or sweet water," he said.
Shafi, however, admitted that there is risk of those fishes being eaten before they could live one year in river or sweet water to get purified. Authorities concerned would have to ensure this, he said.
It was only Thursday that tonnes of fishes reared in two lagoons of Dhaka WASA were killed in Pagla of Narayanganj by spreading poison over them. It has been reported that several hundred tonnes of fishes are still under in cultivation in 14 of the 16 lagoons in the area.
"Why such huge quantity of fishes are being killed? Government can devise a plan to save those fishes and make them eatable," said a buyer after reading a newspaper report on the killing of contaminated lagoon fishes.
He said: "We are facing fish crisis. Those fishes can be saved instead of killing those by spreading poisons… if contaminated, steps should be taken to purify the fishes."
According to a report (2000-2001) of Fisheries Resources Service System (FRSS), the annual fish demand of Bangladesh was 2.3 million tonnes in 2001 whereas the total production was 1.78 million metric tonnes.
Of the total annual fish production during the period, 0.69 million tonnes of fishes were collected from open water sources while 0.71 million tonnes from close water and 0.38 million tonnes from marine water.
The annual per capita demand of fish was 18 kgs while per capita supply was 12 kgs.