Banned Electric Shock Fishing Gear Seized in Sariakandi Drive

The Upazila Fisheries Office conducted a drive in the Sariakandi Jamuna River in Bogra and seized banned fishing equipment for electric shock. No one was arrested during this time.

The drive was ongoing for about 4 and a half hours from 5 am to 9:30 am on Tuesday (February 17). Upazila Fisheries Officer (Additional Duty) Golam Shakil Ahmed conducted the regular drive of the Fisheries Office in the Jamuna River in the Shalik Char area of ​​Hatshepur Union and Tengrakura Char area of ​​Kajla Union of the upazila.

According to Upazila Fisheries sources, several illegal groups are regularly fishing in the Jamuna River with the help of an inverter using a cycle battery. The incidents of fishing in the river using inverters in the open day and night are increasing due to misuse of modern technology. Not only fish, but also other aquatic animals are being killed. As a result, biodiversity is facing a serious threat. For these reasons, this campaign is being conducted to protect fisheries.

In this regular campaign of the Fisheries Office, the Upazila Fisheries Officer conducts the campaign in collaboration with the police station. In the campaign, fishing equipment with electric shock was seized. Among them are 2 inverters (devices that change the polarity of electrical signals), 4 large batteries and electric wires. In addition, about 7 kg of different species of fish caught with shock were on the seizure list. After the campaign, these fish were given to two local madrasas and brought to Kalitala Ghat. However, it was not possible to arrest anyone as the people involved fled after realizing the presence of the campaign.

Local fishermen said that for a long time, fish hunters in the Jamuna River have been generating electricity with inverters using batteries and throwing them into the water, which easily kills fish. This is killing small and large fish along with the aquatic animals of the river.

Confirming the matter, Upazila Fisheries Officer (Additional Duty) Golam Shakil Ahmed said, "It is prohibited to catch fish from the river by using electric devices to shock them. Fishing in this way is destroying the reproductive capacity of the fish. Aquatic animals in the riverbed are also dying. The campaign will continue to take strict legal action against those who are destroying natural resources by misusing such technology."