Indigenous fish face extinction threat

The vast wetlands of Moulvibazar, Hakaluki haor and its tributaries are facing a severe scarcity of water this monsoon due to a lower than usual amount of rainfall, leading to an acute shortage of local fish.

The water scarcity in these wetlands is making the lives and livelihoods of traditional fishermen in neighbouring areas very difficult.

Indigenous fish species like Mola (Mola Carplet), Tangra (Gangetic Mystus), Punti (Swamp Barb), Taki (Spotted Snakehead), Shol (Striped Snakehead), Gazar (Great Snakehead), Ayer (Long-whiskered Catfish), Chela, and many other fish spawn in these wetlands in monsoon, but they are now becoming extinct, the district fisheries office sources say.

Quoting the local fisheries office, local fishermen Md Kaiyum, Azgar Miah, Mofiz Miah, and Safal Miah said there are a multitude of reasons behind the shortage of local fish in the haor region.

The key reasons are a scarcity of water due to poor rainfall coupled with low water flow from upstream, indiscriminate catching of fish fry during spawning season, illicit use of harmful pesticides on adjacent farmlands, and crop cultivation of haor lands, they said.

Echoing the same, an agricultural officer of the district Imdadul Haque said, “Climate change impacts, habitat loss, overexploitation, low water level, water pollution, and construction of paddy protection embankments on haor that have no facility for the fish to move is also responsible for the fish shortage.

“These embankments also allow local people to catch fish fry, which is also harming the local fish population.”

During a recent visit to the Hakaluki haor and its adjacent regions such as Hail Haor, Kauwadighi, and Boro haor, The Business Post found those dried up as well with no water except in some small areas of marshlands.

Responding to the query, local fishermen Ilai Miah, Baitul Ali, and Renu Miah said they regularly go to water bodies to catch fish but return empty handed.

“Not only that, some unlawful local lessees seize our boats, net, and other fishing equipment and extort money from us,” said Renu Miah.

“I have been involved in fishing since I was a child, but I have never experienced such a shortage of fish in this haor,” said Nawab Miah, an elderly fisherman who lives near Hakaluki haor.

“This haor used to be filled with water for at least seven months. But for the past few years, the water remains for only three months, and that complicates things for the fishermen of the area,” said Yakub Ali, another elderly fisherman of the area.

Sadik Miah, a fish trader in the area, said they are living in utter despair and on the verge of leaving this profession.

“The amount of local fish in the natural water bodies of Moulvibazar has gone down drastically in the last few years. People who make a living by catching and trading fish are facing serious economic issues,” he said.

District Agricultural Officer Imdadul Haque said they are taking necessary precautions and measures to stop illegal catching of fish fries during the spawning season and protect these natural sanctuaries.

“The deficit of rainfall this year has made the situation worse for the fishermen.”

According to the district’s fisheries department, Moulvibazar produced around 50,000 metric tonnes of fish last year. This year they have fixed a target of obtaining 5 per cent more than the previous year’s production.