ISLAMABAD: As the winter season started, commercial fishing has commenced at Rawal Lake and the contractor is preparing to enhance the harvest. But illegal netting and angling still pose a challenge to both the contractor and the authorities concerned.

It is the last season of the two-year commercial fishing contract and to ensure a higher yield the contractor says he has introduced a large number of varieties in the water which will also help diversify the aquatic life.

Mohammad Aurangzeb, one of the partners of the contractor, said currently they were preparing for the large-scale netting to start from the next month.

“To replenish the fish population in the lake, several freshwater varieties - compatible to the local environment - have been introduced,” he said.

New varieties of fish have been introduced which will also help diversify aquatic life in lake, contractor says

“Islamabad has wide ranging temperatures from up to 40 degrees in the summer to almost zero in the winter, so varieties with higher survival rate have been introduced in the lake,” he added.

These include Thaila, Mori, Rahu, Mahasher, Silver, Bighead, hybrid (Thaila and Rahu), Singra and Sole.

“We bought seedlings from hatcheries in several parts of Punjab and introduced them in March-April so that they nourished well in the rainy season and be big enough for harvest in the winter,” he added.

Some of these have been breeding naturally in the lake but Mr Aurangzeb said excessive fishing in the previous years had depleted almost all aquatic life in the lake.

The two-year contract was awarded by the capital administration for Rs44 million in Jan 2017 with the condition that the contractor would introduce around one million fish seeds in March-April every rear.

The last contract for commercial fishing was awarded in 2004 and terminated the same year as the contractor developed differences with the local administration over continued illegal fishing.

While a majority of the catch is sold to wholesalers at the fish market in Ganjmandi, Rawalpindi, a large portion is also bought by enthusiasts from the sale point near Naval Club. The contractor complained that the authorities had not provided a dedicated sale point in the city.

The authorities have their own limitations as one inspector and seven fisheries watchers are responsible to stop and persecute illegal netting or angling with the use of fishing rods.

The lone boat belonging to the fisheries department is out of order and all the operations against illegal netting are conducted on boats belonging to the contractor.

However, abundant water supply during 2017 and in the current year has helped the fish population to mature well in the lake. The current water level at the lake is 1,752 feet and it is likely to remain at the same position in November.

Published in Dawn, October 28th, 2018

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