Electric 'current net' ('Jal')
Sunday, 29 March 2009
Air Commodore Muhammad Zakiul Islam ndu acsc (Retd)
HAVE you ever wondered about the Current Jal, its origin and its efficacy! It took me quite some time to figure out as to why this particular type of fishing net got such a name as 'Current Jal'. Now, the adjective 'current' here does, in no way, mean 'stream', 'recent', 'vogue' or 'present practice'. It rather has a scientific connotation attached to it and rightly so. One must appreciate the scientific understanding coupled with the linguistic ingenuity of the illiterate fishermen who have come up with such an expression which so aptly describes the functions that these nets do.
Fishing nets are made of cotton or nylon yarns. They are non-conductive. And they come in all different shapes, sizes, make and purpose. If you are interested to catch the big fish and spare and/or ignore the small ones you would prefer a net with larger sieve. But if you want to catch even the smallest of the small, you would prefer a net with smallest of the sieves so that none can escape.
It is an elementary knowledge of electricity that if someone accidentally comes in contact, a DC source literally grabs or captures you and does not let go while a AC Source will give a kick or a shock! The characteristics of the nets with small sieves are that these don't allow even the smallest of fries to escape and capture and hold them like a DC source/conductor of electric current!
Hence, the name "Current Jal." which has since been widely accepted and adopted by everyone --- fishermen, general public, the fisheries department, customs authority, law enforcers, media et al.
Although making of nets have probably been as primordial a domestic a craft as human history itself, manufacturing of large nets has become a modern day industry by itself for production of nets from different kinds of natural and synthetic fibers and of different sizes of mesh or sieve.
Appropriately assigned with the internationally accepted Harmonized System Codes (HS Code), import and use of low mesh nets are legally prohibited in Bangladesh to protect the immature, yet to grow small fries. But despite the restrictions, some of these nets still make their way and reach the fisherman community.
We Bangalees are well known for our love of rice and fish. In fact, we feed on them and fish is one of our main sources of protein.
But unbridled growth of population and loss of water bodies due to cultivation and human habitation have already posed a great threat to the eco-system of Bangladesh. Like many other natural resources, the fish population is threatened to be severely depleted unless measures are taken to protect the breeding ground and prevent catching of small, immature fries by use of nets of smaller mesh aka Current Jal.
There are official, unofficial and social campaigns against use of Current Jal. Quite often we also come across the news of confiscation, public burning and bonfire of Current Jal.
One hopes that with all the measures and awareness against the use of Current Jal, the dwindling pisci- resources will be saved from ultimate extinction.
While the large ones may be caught, the smaller ones should be allowed to escape so that they can grow bigger and multiply.
Indeed, the concept of net and networking has become an-all-too important phenomenon in our modern day life. It is a discipline by itself: be it in engineering, marketing or communication.
Thanks to the mobile phone system, sometime the network is busy, sometime you are outside of it - but you can never escape from the ubiquitous network. Another form of Current Jal perhaps, irrespective of whether big or small.
Let us come go back to real life scenario. God only knows who proffered the simile.
Might it be another Bangalee invention? Contrary to the popular and conventional belief, it may not always be physically easy and possible to catch the big carps only.
Rather these ones some how get through and it is the small fries that are caught ---- assertion and determination of an erstwhile adviser notwithstanding. And even if the large ones are netted, the legal sieve and mesh system has proven to be too inadequate or ill prepared to contain them.
But let us not lose hope. Let us wait and see that an appropriate legal and anti system evolves with the qualities and characteristics of a Current Jal to capture and contain all fishes, big and small.
Otherwise, the big ones may turn into monsters and the smaller ones would grow and multiply in profligacy, much to the detriment of the social order and ultimate peril of the nation.
The writes may be reached at e-mail: mzaki_islam@yahoo.com
HAVE you ever wondered about the Current Jal, its origin and its efficacy! It took me quite some time to figure out as to why this particular type of fishing net got such a name as 'Current Jal'. Now, the adjective 'current' here does, in no way, mean 'stream', 'recent', 'vogue' or 'present practice'. It rather has a scientific connotation attached to it and rightly so. One must appreciate the scientific understanding coupled with the linguistic ingenuity of the illiterate fishermen who have come up with such an expression which so aptly describes the functions that these nets do.
Fishing nets are made of cotton or nylon yarns. They are non-conductive. And they come in all different shapes, sizes, make and purpose. If you are interested to catch the big fish and spare and/or ignore the small ones you would prefer a net with larger sieve. But if you want to catch even the smallest of the small, you would prefer a net with smallest of the sieves so that none can escape.
It is an elementary knowledge of electricity that if someone accidentally comes in contact, a DC source literally grabs or captures you and does not let go while a AC Source will give a kick or a shock! The characteristics of the nets with small sieves are that these don't allow even the smallest of fries to escape and capture and hold them like a DC source/conductor of electric current!
Hence, the name "Current Jal." which has since been widely accepted and adopted by everyone --- fishermen, general public, the fisheries department, customs authority, law enforcers, media et al.
Although making of nets have probably been as primordial a domestic a craft as human history itself, manufacturing of large nets has become a modern day industry by itself for production of nets from different kinds of natural and synthetic fibers and of different sizes of mesh or sieve.
Appropriately assigned with the internationally accepted Harmonized System Codes (HS Code), import and use of low mesh nets are legally prohibited in Bangladesh to protect the immature, yet to grow small fries. But despite the restrictions, some of these nets still make their way and reach the fisherman community.
We Bangalees are well known for our love of rice and fish. In fact, we feed on them and fish is one of our main sources of protein.
But unbridled growth of population and loss of water bodies due to cultivation and human habitation have already posed a great threat to the eco-system of Bangladesh. Like many other natural resources, the fish population is threatened to be severely depleted unless measures are taken to protect the breeding ground and prevent catching of small, immature fries by use of nets of smaller mesh aka Current Jal.
There are official, unofficial and social campaigns against use of Current Jal. Quite often we also come across the news of confiscation, public burning and bonfire of Current Jal.
One hopes that with all the measures and awareness against the use of Current Jal, the dwindling pisci- resources will be saved from ultimate extinction.
While the large ones may be caught, the smaller ones should be allowed to escape so that they can grow bigger and multiply.
Indeed, the concept of net and networking has become an-all-too important phenomenon in our modern day life. It is a discipline by itself: be it in engineering, marketing or communication.
Thanks to the mobile phone system, sometime the network is busy, sometime you are outside of it - but you can never escape from the ubiquitous network. Another form of Current Jal perhaps, irrespective of whether big or small.
Let us come go back to real life scenario. God only knows who proffered the simile.
Might it be another Bangalee invention? Contrary to the popular and conventional belief, it may not always be physically easy and possible to catch the big carps only.
Rather these ones some how get through and it is the small fries that are caught ---- assertion and determination of an erstwhile adviser notwithstanding. And even if the large ones are netted, the legal sieve and mesh system has proven to be too inadequate or ill prepared to contain them.
But let us not lose hope. Let us wait and see that an appropriate legal and anti system evolves with the qualities and characteristics of a Current Jal to capture and contain all fishes, big and small.
Otherwise, the big ones may turn into monsters and the smaller ones would grow and multiply in profligacy, much to the detriment of the social order and ultimate peril of the nation.
The writes may be reached at e-mail: mzaki_islam@yahoo.com