MUZAFFARABAD, June 22: The AJK fisheries and wildlife department (FWD) awarded on Tuesday a three-year fishing rights contract from Mangla Dam for Rs25.1 million in an open auction, participated by three parties.

The auction was held in the southern Mirpur city by FWD Director Yousuf Qureshi, Deputy Director Sardar Javaid Ayub, Deputy Secretary forests, fisheries and wildlife Abdul Rehman Mughal and a divisional accountant from the Accountant General's Office.

The auction started from rupees one million and ended at Rs25.1 million at the fall of the hammer, Sardar Ayub told Dawn on telephone from Mirpur. He said the contractor would also stock healthy fingerlings in the reservoir during the three years of his contract at an additional cost of Rs6 million.

Mangla, the largest water reservoir in Kashmir, occupies some 27,000 hectares in area, producing over 1,000 metric tons of fish per year and supporting the livelihoods of some 15,000 full-time fishermen and 2,000 casual anglers.

Constructed in the early 60s by damming the Jhelum River in district Mirpur, the reservoir was earlier controlled by Wapda. However, an agreement signed between the AJK and federal governments on June 27, 2003, transferred the fishing rights of the reservoir to AJK.

Sardar Ayub regretted that the Wapda authorities had not handed over the hatchery to his department due to which the fingerlings stocking could not be done during the past year.

However, now the contractor would ensure stock replenishment under the auction agreement, he said. Apart from this, he said, the contract had also put a ban on catching of Mahasher fish for the whole contract period. The FWD officials, district administration and people's representatives would ensure effective monitoring of the ban, he added.