Sweetwater small fish vanishing in B'baria

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Our Correspondent
BRAHMANBARIA, August 12: Sweetwater small fish are on the verge of extinction due to use of current nets, pesticides, insecticides, various kinds of fertilizers in the field in an unplanned way and silting of rivers, canals, beels, etc. The Haor areas of the district are also filling up gradually due to lack of proper government initiative.
Different kind of fish were found in abundance in the rivers Titas, Meghna, Haowra and Sonai various haors, canals, beels and other natural water bodies of the district.
According to the people of the haor areas, the water bodies were full of different varieties of sweetwater fish like Ruhi, Katla, Gulshey, Bain, Vadari, Puti, Tengra, Magur, Koi, Soal, Gojar, Pabda, Aire, Khoilsa, Puta, etc. just a few years ago. These sweetwater fish used to be supplied to different places across the country after meeting the demands of the district. Huge quantities of these fish even remained surplus.
Among traditional fish, 'Shoal fish were abundant in river Titas.
A fisherman of Sarail Upazila of the district told this correspondent: "We caught huge quantities of sweetwater fish even a decade ago but now we get only five per cent of that.
When contacted, fish experts of the district Fisheries Department said the production of sweetwater fish in the natural bodies has come down alarmingly due to many reasons including much using current nets, pesticides, various kinds of fertilizers in the field in an unplanned way and silting of river, canals, beels etc.
The government is observing two-week long programme on preservation of small fish.
This programme will be successful only if the government can strictly control using of current nets, the local people opined.