Orissa bans baby hilsa catching

Kendrapara, Sep 7 (UNI) Taking a cue from the neighbouring West Bengal government,the Orissa Fishery and Animal Resource Department has banned the catching of small hilsa fish to improve hilsa production in the state.

Assistant Director of Fishery (Marine) P R Rout said he had received a letter in this connection from Joint Secretary of state Fishery and Animal Resource Department B K Dash recently.

Mr Rout said the state Fishery and Animal Resource department had directed all the fishery officials of the state not to allow fishermen to catch baby hilsa fish weight less than half kilogram to check the fast depletion of the fish.

The price of hilsa had skyrocketed recently after their population touched an all time low.

Few years back markets in Kendrapara,Jagatasinghpur and its nearby areas were flooded with hilsa.But now it is rarely seen due to use of gill net by the fishermen and construction of a number of dams and bridges on their migratory path affecting the movement of the fish during the breeding season.

Industrial pollutants and decreasing fresh water flow through river Mahanadi and its tributaries also contributed to the depleting population of hilsa, fishery officials said.

UNI