Some popular species of fish specially Ruhi, Katla, Mrigel and Kalibaush released a record quantity of eggs on Sunday night in the Halda River, the lone natural fish breeding sanctuary in the country.
These fishes usually release eggs between March and June, experts said, adding that though mother fishes took a long time to release eggs this year, its quantity is sufficient.
Halda expert Dr Monjurul Kibria told BSS that the fry-collectors have collected huge quantities of eggs in the early hours of Monday by some 300 boats.
The Halda is the only natural breeding ground in South Asia where sweet water species like these fishes release their eggs at a certain period of the monsoon over a century.
Egg collectors Kamal Uddin Sawdagor said they collected a large number of eggs from the early hours of Monday to the afternoon. “Each person has collected 3-4 kilograms of eggs. We hope that we could collect more eggs," he added.
Hathazari Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Shahidul Alam said people with hundreds of boats were collecting eggs in different areas of the Halda River under Hathazari and Raozan upazilas.
Besides, the upazila administration, river police and fisheries office are also stationed there.
