Indiscriminate netting of fry in the coastal region despite a government ban has led to a sharp depletion of shrimp and other fish of the rivers in the area, putting over 138 species of aquatic fauna at risk.
Local fishermen of the Barguna district – which is enclosed by Bishkhali River to the West, Payra River to the East and the Bay of Bengal to the South – are catching the fry using mosquito nets without knowing about its harmful effects on the ecosystem, UNB reports.
A large amount of fry of lobsters, prawns and other fish are swept into the two rivers during high tide, and are caught by the fishermen.
A study by the Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute from 1991-97 found that such fry netting is causing harm to 38 species of prawn, six other species of fish and 100 species of aquatic fauna in their drives to catch lobster and prawn fry. It was found that in one single drive, innumerable fry of tengra, poa and taposhi were caught with only seven or eight fry of prawns.
The Fisheries Department apprehends that continuation of such unhindered netting of fry would lead to the extinction of different species of fish from the rivers and water bodies of the coastal region.
Barguna’s Assistant Fisheries Official Ruhul Amin said, Mass awareness campaign are needed along with legal action to stop the catching of fry.”
Netting of fry from rivers is officially banned and the fisheries department has strengthened its activities to stop collection and netting of prawn fry.
However, a visit to the area showed several women and children catching fry of lobster and prawn on the banks of the Bishkhali, Baleswar and Payra rivers. Fish farm owners buy off their catch at cheap prices to meet the demand for fry in the country.
There are about 147 prawn hatcheries in the country, which produce about 10bn fry in a year, only a third of the total annual demand. Experts voiced their concerns for increasing the number of authorised hatcheries in the area to meet the demand so that different species of fish would not be at risk.
2013 Dhaka Tribune