54 fish species in Sunamganj face extinction

Fifty-four species of fish, of the total 154, in the water-bodies of Sunamganj are now facing extinction due to adverse impacts of climate and different human activities, according to a study report published recently. The sweet water sources in the district, including rivers, canals and other water-bodies, once used to abound with huge endogenous fish species. Adverse impacts of climate change and different obstructions caused by humans have pushed the existence of the rivers and canals into jeopardy making a sharp fall in production of local fish resources in the district. If the declining trend of the local fish resources continues this way, the north-eastern district will face serious deficiency of protein from fish in the near future, it is apprehended. The Fisheries Research Support Project under the Community- based Resource Management Project of the Local Government Engineering Department, Sunamganj, conducted the study at Bangladesh World Fish Centre. The study, carried out in seven wetlands in Sunamganj, projected a terrible scenario of the fish species facing extinction, according to UNB.