Catch & release trout angling tourney gets underway at Kullu

Mandi, April 22

The All-India seventh catch and release trout angling competition began at Largi in Banjar subdivision of Kullu district yesterday. District Tourism Development Officer (DTDO) Sunayna inaugurated the event being organised by the Trout Conservation and Angling Association (TCAA), Kullu, from April 21 to 23.

Krishan Sandhu, General Secretary, TCAA, Kullu, said the objective behind the event was to conserve the habitats of trout fishes and promote angling as a tourism activity in Kullu district.

Professional anglers will catch the trout fishes in the Tirthan, Sainj and Beas rivers without harming them and release them again in the water. The association will award the angler who will catch the biggest trout. As many as 23 anglers from different parts of the country are taking part in this competition.

Sandhu said Kullu had vast potential for the promotion of angling and also needed measures for the conservation of trout habitats He said illegal killing of fishes was rampant in Kullu district as well as in other parts of the state. But, due to the shortage of staff, the Fisheries Department is unable to check illicit poaching, he added.

He said, “Indiscriminate dumping of muck in and around water bodies poses a serious threat to the aquatic culture. We are hoping to create awareness on the need to conserve trout habitats for the promotion of angling as a tourism activity.”