Fishing ban lifted across state

The Department of Fisheries has lifted the ban on fishing in water bodies across the state, bringing relief to fishermen in the Pong Reservoir in lower Kangra hills. The ban, imposed due to the breeding season from June 15 to August 15, has been lifted, allowing fishermen to resume their livelihood.

Notably, the fisheries department has taken a strict approach towards offenders during the ban period, detecting 719 cases of illegal fishing and recovering Rs 6.25 lakh as compensation. This is a significant increase from last year, with 109 more cases and Rs 67,000 higher in compensation.

The Pong Reservoir, spanning over 24,000 hectares, provides livelihood to 3,395 fishermen through 15 registered fisheries societies. According to Vivek Chandel, Director, Fisheries Department, Bilaspur, the department’s field teams deployed in the Pong Reservoir have caught 218 illegal fishing cases, recovering Rs 2,28,250 as compensation.

The department has deployed special protection measures, including camps and flying squads, to safeguard fish wealth during the breeding season. Over 12,000 fishermen in the state earn their livelihood from water reservoirs and water bodies. With the ban lifted, fishermen are expected to benefit from the reservoir’s potential, which recorded 387 metric tonnes of fish production last year.