MUZAFFARGARH: According to the Fisheries Act, there is a ban on fishing from June to August because in these days fish give eggs to increase their hatcheries in water.

Some contractors of fish at Head Taunsa Barrage, however, have continued hunting fish illegally with the backing of public officials.

This correspondent visited Taunsa Barrage on the River Indus and found contractors were catching loads of fish on motor-powered boats with nets.

Watchdogs say it is illegal to catch fish with thin nets.

According to the fisheries director general, if any person is found in the river to hunt the fish in June, July and August, the department will take stern action against violators and their net and boat will be confiscated by the department.

Sources said that at the Head Taunsa Barrage, split ejectors have been closed to catch the fish.

The Sindho Bachao Tarla has started peaceful rallies against the system of contractors and fisheries department to stop catching or hunting the fish during the three banned months.

An official said that there was some political influence here which had become a powerful mafia so the fisheries department could not take action against them.

Sindho Bachao Tarla Information Secretary Khadim Hussain Khar said many times they appealed to the government and Prime Minister Imran Khan to take action against the fish killers.

The irrigation executive engineer of the Head Taunsa Barrage denied allegations of split ejectors’ closure. He said the fisheries department was responsible for illegal fish hunt. He said that now the water level was increasing at the barrage and his teams were present at spot to check the site on a daily basis.

He said that according to the irrigation department order, his teams would bring action on those who had installed pipes in canals to steal water illegally.

Published in Dawn, June 19th, 2020