Indigenous fishes release huge eggs in Halda

FT ONLINE

Mother fish of indigenous species have released a huge quantity of eggs in the Halda river, the only natural fish breeding sanctuary in the world.

According to experts, this is the first event this year as these fishes usually release eggs during March-June period of the monsoon.

After a long wait, fisheries experts and experienced fry-collectors observed that mother fishes released sufficient amount of eggs in the river.

Fishermen have collected these eggs of some very popular species of fish which are locally known as Rui, Katla, Mrigel and Kaliboush.

Fisherman Kamal Uddin Swdagor told newsmen the fry collectors collected a satisfactory quantity of eggs after mother fishes started releasing those from early Friday.

He informed that around 1,200 fishermen with 300 boats began collecting eggs since morning.

"Protecting man-made disaster like indiscriminate hunting of mother fishes (egg carrying fishes) and river pollution and favorable weather condition are the major causes of huge amount of egg release of spawn by the major carps this year," said Halda expert Prof Monjurul Kibria of Zoology Department at Chattogram University, who has been carrying out massive research works on unique character of this river and its fish spawning.

The river Halda as the saying goes has for over a century been spawning of such category of fishes and this river is the only natural breeding ground in the world where these species of fish release their eggs at a certain period of the monsoon and fry-collectors collect those eggs through a unique method to sell them among the fish farmers.

Mentionable, the Halda River is considered one of the world's major natural sweet water breeding spots of carps which originated from Butuntali Hill of the Chattogram Hill Tracks and entered into the city through Fatikchhari.