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HOMEConcern over killing of fish using pesticides GUWAHATI, Nov 4 (Assam Tribune) Killing of fish by using banned pesticides and poisonous substances during winter has emerged as a cause of concern for the general public as well as environmentalists of the State. While the absence of data on the volume of fish killed by poisonous substances makes any quantification exercise difficult, environmentalists and wildlife activists assert that the phenomenon of using banned pesticides for mass killing of fish is widespread. “During the winter, the drop in the water volume results in formation of pools or ghulis in many rivers, streams and other water bodies. Unscrupulous fishermen often use banned pesticides like Thiodan and Di-eldrin to reap a maximum harvest at one go,” environmentalist Dr Anwaruddin Choudhury said. Choudhury said that he had witnessed such mass killing of fish in Dibru-Saikhowa National Park in Dibrugarh and Tinsukia district in the early 1990s. “Besides, the practice of triggering blasts in rivers to kill fish is common in the upstream areas of Pagladia, Puthimari, etc., in lower Assam. It was also prevalent in the Jiabhoroli near Nameri till it was declared a national park,” he added. According to Choudhury, the easy availability of even banned pesticides is behind the widespread phenomenon. “Many such pesticides are widely used in tea estates, and procuring these substances is not difficult. To make matters worse, many pesticides used for killing fish are not biodegradable,” he said. Chief Wildlife Warden Mohan Chandra Malakar said that as fish was not covered by the Wildlife Protection Act, the matter did not fall under the jurisdiction of the Forest Department. “Of course, it is the responsibility of the Forest Department to ensure protection to the fish inhabiting all the water bodies inside protected areas, i.e., wildlife sanctuaries and national parks,” he said. Fisheries Commissioner Pawan Barthakur, however, played down the fish-poisoning alert. “This is not a widespread phenomenon, and therefore, not a major issue. We get one or two such cases at long intervals. Most of the time, such killings are related to rivalry between fish mahaldars, one trying to tarnish the reputation of the other,” he said, adding that the department had asked the local authorities to be very strict. According to Dr Choudhury, keeping a constant monitoring on poisoning of fish is impossible. “It is only through enhanced public awareness and concerted public action that such crimes can be checked,” he said. |
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