The Punjab government has imposed a 10-year ban on commercial fishing in the provincial water because of the acute depletion of fisheries in the rivers.
It is for the first time that the Government has taken such type of step.
According to the order issued by Fisheries Department Secretary Shahid Zaman, the ban shall be applied from Sept 1, 2022, and shall remain in force till July 31, 2032.
There shall be a strict and complete ban on commercial fishing by means of all gears excluding rod and line in the waters, in River Indus within the boundaries of Punjab, its reservoirs, and pond areas connected to barrages/headworks, as per the order.
Moreover, River Chenab upstream Marala headworks, River Jhelum from Rasool headworks up to Mangla reservoir outflow, and River Swan from River Indus junction at Peer Pahai, Mianwali district, to hills of Murree are also included in the prohibited parts for fishing, it says.
With respect to fishing through rod and line, weekly and monthly fishing permits will be given with a fee of Rs500 and Rs5, 000 each permit, respectively, for each district, and the angling period will be from sunrise to sunset, the order said.
The order further added that only five fish or a total eight-kilo weight, whichever is greater, per permit per day shall be given permission to be taken away.
Showing concern about the fish depletion, Mr. Zaman explains the decision to ban commercial fishing is inevitable in view of a serious drop in the number of fish observed during test fishing by the department and ways to ensure the conservation of the fish varieties available in the Punjab waters.
He adds that a uniform has also been given to the field staff of the department as part of increasing the law-enforcement capability of the staff and their easy identification by the general public during the monitoring process.
