Indigenous fish species face disappearance

RAJSHAHI, Mar 30 (BSS): Indigenous fish species, particularly the smaller ones, are on the verge of disappearance due to many reasons, including abnormal declining of floodplains and wetlands, indiscriminate use of harmful pesticides and chemical fertilisers on agricultural lands. Water polluted by such poisonous pesticides, insecticides and chemical fertiliser are extremely detrimental to natural breeding of traditional fish species in agriculture lands as well as water bodies and wetlands in the northern region. Researchers and scientists said that apart from the use of pesticides, and fertiliser, massive silt being deposited on the beds of major rivers and other water bodies as well as fast shrinkage of floodplains were largely responsible for reducing the breeding grounds of indigenous fish species. They categorically mentioned that the Farakka Barrage over the river Ganges in India is the main reason of deposition of silts in rivers and their tributaries in Bangladesh for years together. This is leading to a sharp decline in the spawning grounds for aquatic vegetation in the Padma basin and its adjoining floodplain areas of the region, they said. Prof Dr Nazrul Islam of Rajshahi University, who conducted research in this field, highlighted various positive aspects of the open water bodies in preserving traditional fish species. "The open water bodies are important not only for fish production but also for providing employment to a larger section of poor people," he said. Besides, he said, various fishes growing in open water bodies have been contributing a lot to maintain natural ecosystem and wetland habitats along with protecting the aquatic biodiversity. "The small indigenous fish species are the main source of meeting around 80 per cent demand of the animal protein for the people," he also said. But, Prof Islam said, excess as well as indiscriminate promotion of modern technologies in both agriculture and fish culture is actually reducing the grazing and breeding grounds of traditional fish species in the region. Over the years, the researchers through scores of extensive studies detected at least 12 reasons of fast decline in fishery resources in the region, particularly in the major rivers and their tributaries. Talking to the news agency quoting their research findings, concerned officials said around 65 indigenous fish species were now rare while at least 45 of them became extinct in the region. Dr Akter Hossain, Chairman of Fisheries and Aquaculture Department of Rajshahi University, said frequent and indiscriminate use of pesticides and chemical fertilisers on agricultural lands have been directly or indirectly destroying the open water fishery resources and fish food organisms in wetlands and floodplains. Due to such extensive interventions, he said, the habitat degradation is also affecting productivity of the water bodies and the prevailing disturbances are significantly becoming detrimental to the traditional fish species and their population. Besides, Dr Hossain said, over fishing along with injudicious and destructive fishing practices have been inviting depletion of the fishery resources every year. "This is undoubtedly dangerous as such practice is ensuring successive elimination of fish stock from the region," he said. Fisheries experts also referred to another reason of the fast depletion of fish resources saying, this potential sector has long been neglected in terms of investment and proper care. They urged the government to immediately formulate a policy with vision and sound management mechanism to protect the fish resources from further degradation in the river Padma, its tributaries, floodplains and other water bodies in the region.