Brood fishes release eggs in Halda River

Brood fishes (mother fishes) started releasing fertilised eggs from early Friday in the Halda River, the lone natural fish sanctuary of the country.

Earlier, fishes released eggs on a small scale in the water of the river starting from 11 am on Thursday. After the rain on Thursday, the brood fishes started releasing fertilized eggs from 2 am on Friday.

A B M Moshiuzzaman, Upazila Nirbahi Officer of Hathazari, said, "The brood fishes released sample eggs yesterday (Thursday). Later, the mother-fishes started releasing fertilized eggs at around 2 am early today (Friday). The brooding of eggs will continue for one or two weeks in the season."

"We have taken all necessary measures in this regard as Halda is the prime source of eggs of fishes in the country," he added.

"Farmers are collecting the eggs. All of the hatcheries are ready to preserve the eggs," he added.

"The government has taken several steps to stop fishing in the Halda before brooding of eggs. As a result, in the current year, brooding of eggs may be satisfactory," he added. He further said, "We are very alert to saving the mother fishes in the Halda."

The fishermen were collecting the eggs in the area from Gorduara to Modunaghat under Hathazari upazila and at Barighona of Urkirchar under Raojan upazila.

Halda researcher Professor Dr Shafiqul Islam said that the brood fishes started releasing fertilized eggs from 2 am on Monday in the Halda.

Several hundred fishermen and others were collecting the eggs of fishes like rohu, katla and mrigal.

According to sources, Halda is the only river in the country where fishermen can collect fertilized eggs from the river bed and arrange for them to hatch later on, whereas only hatched fish fry (young fish) - and not fertilized eggs - can be caught in other rivers.

The mother fishes start laying eggs during the new moon from April to July every year.

But, during this season, the mother fishes could not brood eggs sufficiently as the Halda was polluted by the engine boats and the dwellers living on the banks of the river. As a result, the safe natural zone for brooding by mother fishes was no more safe that much. So, the brooding was decreasing in the current year, the experts opined.

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