Birampur (Dinajpur) Correspondent:

Four banned Chinese Duari nets and two fixed engine nets have been seized in a joint operation by fisheries officers in the Bhagwatipur and Chhota Jamuna river areas of Birampur upazila of Dinajpur. The fixed engine net of Anisur Rahman of Ward No. 4 of Poliprayagpur Union was caught being set in the river.

The operation was conducted by Upazila Executive Officer (UNO) and Executive Magistrate Nuzhat Tasnim Aon, and Upazila Fisheries Officer Salma Akhter Sumi, UP member of Poliprayagpur Union Fazlur Rahman, Upazila Youth Development Officer Enamul Haque Chowdhury, Rural Development Officer Lutfar Rahman, Upazila Project Implementation Officer Roknuzzaman and journalists from local print and electronic media were present.

Anisur Rahman was fined Tk 5,000 for setting the banned net in the river. Later, the seized Chinese double nets and the nets used in fixed engines were publicly burned in the Upazila Parishad premises, so that such crimes can be prevented.

However, it is worrying that fishing is still being carried out freely with banned nets in various canals, beels and rivers of the upazila. This illegal activity is especially noticeable in the water bodies of Digalchand, Ashurar Beel, Binailer Khari, Desma, Pathan Chara and Chhota Jamuna rivers in Khanpur Union.

Due to the lack of proper supervision by the fisheries officials, the number of native fish is gradually decreasing, which is a cause of great concern for the local fishermen and the public. Due to the use of banned Chinese double nets, even small fish are becoming destitute, as a result of which the natural balance of fish in the rivers and canals is being endangered.

The Upazila Fisheries Officer said that the campaign to eradicate illegal nets will continue so that fish conservation and fishing control can be achieved.