To protect local fish species, ix fish sanctuary zones have been established in two rivers in Ullapara upazila of Sirajganj. Despite the prohibition on fishing in these sanctuaries, fishermen are continuously catching fish from these sanctuaries, violating the rules.
The upazila Department of Fisheries is not monitoring the sanctuaries effectively. This is disrupting the breeding cycle of local fishes in the six sanctuaries of the upazila.
Three of the sanctuaries are located at Ghatina, Palpara, and Sonatala in Karatoa River areas near the Ghatina Rail Bridge, and the other three sanctuaries are located at Mordah, Dahkula, and Mohanpur in Saraswati River.
Alamgir, a resident of Mordah area near the Saraswati River, said that the sanctuaries exist only in name. He claimed that locals are openly catching local fish using the influence of powerful individuals and selling them in local markets. Residents of the river areas are waiting to see when the concerned authorities will take effective measures to preserve local fish in the rivers.
Rakibul Islam Suman, a resident of Ghatina near the Karatoa River, said that currently, there is only a signboard noting that it’s a fish sanctuary. Due to a lack of oversight from the fisheries department, fishermen are freely using rods, current nets, and Chinese nets to catch fish daily. Some members of the committees formed to protect the sanctuaries are also reportedly involved in this illegal activity.
Upazila Fisheries Officer Ataur Rahman said that in 2020, six sections of the two rivers were declared as sanctuaries. Annual funding is allocated for the sanctuaries. While the Department of Fisheris conducts drives to seize illegal nets and burn them, they have been unable to fully curb the activities of unscrupulous fishermen. The department has prohibited the catching of local fish species such as dhela, sarpunti, baus, ghuilsha, pabda, rani, baghair, boal, baim, chela, chapila, gagla, puti, and rita, among others.
Warning signboards were installed in the river areas, and announcements were made urging locals to remain vigilant, but these efforts had little effect. Committees were formed in each area with stakeholders to protect local fish species, but occasional mobile court drives have not yielded significant results.
