Breeding season on, 2-month ban imposed on fishing

NURPUR, JUNE 16

The fishing in the Pong Dam reservoir on the foothills of Kangra district was banned for the next two months today in view of fish breeding season.

Sprawling over 24,000 hectares, the manmade water body, which is 42-km long and 19-km broad, is providing livelihood to nearly 2,800 fishermen. As per official information, the Pong reservoir is producing Singhara fish species which is around 60 per cent of the total fish production. It fetches the highest price in the market. Apart from this, species of Rahu, Katla, Common Carpe and Mahasheer are also produced here which are in huge demand.

Sat Pal Mehta, Director, Fisheries Department, Bilaspur, said the department planned to put fish seed worth Rs 29 lakh in the Pong reservoir in the current breeding season and 360 tons of fish production was expected this season.

“During fish breeding season each fishermen will be paid Rs 1,500 per month as off-season allowance-cum-financial relief. The department is also providing free accidental insurance cover of Rs 2 lakh to every fisherman apart from providing quality fishing nets and boats on subsidized price to them,” he said.

Mehta said to check illegal fishing during the two-month fishing breeding season the Fisheries Department had geared up its machinery and deployed a flying squad which would use motor boat to keep close look on illegal fishing in the Pong reservoir. A special patrolling camp comprising department and outsourced employees had also been set up at Nagrota Surian for conducting round the clock patrolling around the reservoir.

The Fisheries Department imposes blanket ban on fish catching every year in Gobindsagar, Pong, Chamera, Kol Dam and Ranjit Sagar reservoirs. Fishing has also been banned in all rivers in HP for two months from today. — OC

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