Campaigners in Madan say illegal fine-mesh nets are wiping out juvenile fish and aquatic plants, urging enforcement drives, stronger fisheries monitoring and action against rotenol use.
The unchecked use of banned China duari nets in the haor wetlands of Bangladesh’s northern Netrokona district is disrupting aquatic breeding, threatening native fish populations and damaging fragile freshwater ecosystems, environmentalists and local residents have warned.
The nets are being used freely across Talar Haor, Ganesh Haor, Bander Haor, Mahisher Haor, Jahangirpur Haor and Katlar Haor in Madan upazila, as well as in the local Magra and Saiduli rivers and different wetlands, canals and water bodies.
Against this backdrop, the private research organisation BARCIK and the Madan Green Coalition Committee recently organised a human chain in front of the Madan upazila complex, demanding a complete ban on China duari nets.
After the protest, environmental activists, fishermen, farmers, youths and local residents submitted a memorandum to the upazila administration.
According to the memorandum and local sources, about 270 species of freshwater fish were once found in the haors and wetlands of the area. But more than 100 species have already disappeared or become endangered due to the loss of wetlands, excessive pesticide use, fishing by draining water bodies, the use of rotenol poison, the killing of juvenile fish and the destruction of aquatic plants.
China duari nets have now emerged as a new threat. Because the nets are extremely light and finely woven, all types of aquatic life, including large and small fish, juvenile fish, fish fry, shrimp, turtles, frogs and crabs, become trapped and die.
The vice-president of the Green Coalition Committee said the nets were destroying the natural breeding cycle of fish.
“This net is completely destroying the natural breeding cycle of fish. As a result, there is a risk of a severe fish shortage in the haors in the future, which will put the livelihoods of local fishermen and the country’s food security at great risk. In addition, when this net is used, underwater grass and small aquatic plants are uprooted, which are the main shelter and food source for fish. As a result, the entire food chain of the haor is being disrupted,” the committee’s vice-president said.
Environmental groups and local people have placed a set of demands before the administration to protect the haor’s fisheries resources and environment.
They called for strict enforcement of a ban on China duari nets in all haors, rivers and canals of Madan upazila, as well as immediate drives in markets and water bodies to seize and destroy illegal nets.
They also demanded that the local administration and fisheries department be instructed to conduct regular mobile courts or enforcement drives and that monitoring and supervision by the fisheries office be strengthened.
The campaigners further called for a complete halt to the production, marketing, import, storage and sale of China duari nets.
They also demanded a strict ban on the use of the harmful poison rotenol for fishing in the haors.
