Ban on fishing in Sonitpur district

A Correspondent

Tezpur, April 3: The Sonitpur district authority has imposed restrictions on fishing and killing fishes in this breeding season for saving the fish progeny, an official order of the District Magistrate Monoj Kumar Deka stated. The ban has been clamped under Section 144 of the CrPC with effect from April 3 to July 15. The order expressed concern over the ubated catching of fish in the district by nets with small and fine meshes violating the permissible norms.

 It further said that such unchecked catching of fish in their breeding season will jeopardize the fish progeny. The order prohibits the use of fishing nets such as beraqjaal, mahajaal and fasijaal with meshes less than 7 cm, Bar/14 cm mesh under Section 23 of Assam Fishery Rules. It also bans nets and other fishing instruments with holes less than 7 cm square gaps. The order also bans catching of brood fish species like rohu, bahu, mrigal, mali, chital, kharia, puthi, gharia and kurhi in the district. This order has been enforced in the entire Sonitpur district with immediate effect and will be continued until further order.