CHATTOGRAM, May 06: The government has imposed a ban on catching all kinds of fish in Kaptai Lake, one of the prime sources of sweet water fish in the Chattogram Hill Tracts (CHT) for three months.
The restriction that came into effect on May 1 will continue until July 31.
The local administration is executing the ban to ensure proper growth of the fish population in the water body like every year.
A taskforce has also been formed to implement the ban.
The decision to stop fishing for three months in the lake came from a meeting held at the office of the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Rangamati recently, with participation of representatives from the departments concerned.
Besides, a decision was also taken at the meeting to procure a harvester machine worth Tk2.5 million for cleaning up the Kaptai Lake to make it friendly for its fish resources and aquatic ecosystem.
The authorities are set to harvest carp fishes (targeted 25 lakhs tonnes) from the lake in the current month.
Consequently, for this reason also, fishing in the lake cannot be allowed during the period.
According to an order issued from the meeting, the fish wholesale centres will also remain closed during the ban.
At the meeting, the authorities decided to give 20 kg rice as aid to each of the fishermen in every week during the period.
An additional district magistrate (ADM) will lead the taskforce formed to implement the ban.
The taskforce will prevent fishing in Kaptai Lake until further order.
The taskforce will work to stop the use of current net or any other net for fishing in the lake.
It was also decided at the meeting that ice factories in the lake area will remain closed during the ban.
No vehicle can carry fish from Rangamati and Kaptai to any other place of the country.
Deputy Commissioner of Rangamati AKM Mamunur Rashid said, "We have taken the decision to harvest fish from the lake. Our goal is to make the lake's environment friendly for fish and aquatic ecosystem. I hope that fish can grow more smoothly and naturally in the lake for the step taken. We expect to collect more fish from the water body after fishing remains halted there for several months."
He further said, "To protect young fish and increase natural breeding of fish, the district administration has slapped a three-month ban on fishing in the lake, and also on transportation and marketing of fish." As long as the ban will remain in force, anyone defying it will face legal action, said the meeting sources.
Members of the law enforcement agencies will be on patrol to bring anyone violating the ban to book.
A mobile court will also work to punish anyone fishing in the like in violation of the ban.
The fish produced in the lake after meeting the local demand is supplied to Dhaka and other parts of the country.
Average annual production of fish in the water body is more than 7,000 tonnes.
Manager of Bangladesh Fisheries Development Corporation (BFDC) in Rangamati Md Assaduzaman said: "Sufficient fish fry will be released in Kaptai Lake to increase fish production."
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