Fishing with banned net rampant at Dhamoirhat

DHAMOIRHAT, NAOGAON, July 11: Small sweet water fishes are being caught desperately from the water bodies at Dhamoirhat Upazila of the district.
 Plastic yarn-made net, locally known as 'current jaal' is being used in rivers, canals or ditches to catch the small fish.
Selling of such nets and using these in fishing are officially banned. Yet these are being publicly sold in different haats and bazaars.
For the last few days' incessant raining,  all rivers, canals or ditches in the upazila have been full of water, for which different species of common fish including climbing fish, fry, cat fish and tengra (mystus) are found in the water bodies. These are being netted in a large volume.
The fishes are yet little in size. If these are not caught, within few days, these  will be grown-up.On condition of anonymity, a current jaal user said, soon after setting these nets in the water, fishes start getting caught. These nets are available in haats and bazaars.
A visit made recently found lines of people for purchasing these nets.
Shoppers are selling the nets secretly keeping these hidden inside sacks. Net is being sold at Tk 5-6 per hand.
Due to this unfair practice in fishing and trading, the sweet water fishes are in threat of extinction.
Upazila Fisheries Officer (in-charge) Md. Abu Sayed said, "We've tried to make people conscious in this regard through mike. Despite this, some unscrupulous traders are selling current jaal."
Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Gonopoti Roy said, action will be taken according to the existing law.