By Md Aynal Haque

RAJSHAHI, April 29, 2024 (BSS) - The adverse impact of climate change poses threat to the indigenous fish species, particularly the small ones here as most of the water bodies in the region, especially in the high Barind tract, are now dying continuously, experts said.
 
Fisheries scientists and specialists said the breeding field and sanctuary of the fish species drastically reduced coupled with siltation in the big rivers and their tributaries, water-bodies, and other wetlands due to water scarcity.
 
Prof Dr Akhter Hossain said the scanty rainfall and scorching heat have impact on water-bodies and the unusual situation is causing harm to the native fish species.
 
He said over-fishing along with injudicious and destructive fishing practice resulted in the depletion of fishery resources.
 
All varieties of native fish are on the decline because of a drastic fall in surface water resources, he said, adding that the sharp fall in production of local fish resources is also widely blamed on the indiscriminate catching of the mother fish in confined water bodies.

Many of these fish released in natural water bodies such as rivers, beels and canals are also spawning there and the fish population in some controlled areas is rising.

But, the scenario is not seen all theregion particularly where natural water bodies are few and far.

Dr Hossain, who teaches at the fisheries and aquaculture department in Rajshahi University, highlighted various positive aspects of open water bodies in conserving the native fish species and said open water bodies were important not only for their fish production but also for generating employment.
 
A sound management system for rational utilisation of the fisheries should be designed immediately to protect the fish resources of the Padma River and other water-bodies and to protect the native fish species from being endangered.
 
Prof Dr Bidhan Chandra Das, currently Vice-chancellor of North Bengal International University, said there were many small rivers, canals and beels in the region which became green paddy fields during each dry season due to massive siltation.
 
The huge water bodies could be effective for large-scale fish farming and also protecting the endangered fish species, if the water bodies could be transformed into water reservoirs after proper excavation and re-excavation, he said.
 
In addition, by using the conserved surface water round the year, many large tracts of barren land on the high Barind tract could be used to farm various crops, including paddy.

Prof Das, who retired from the Department of Zoology at Rajshahi University, opined that this would also lessen the dependence on groundwater for irrigation.

Referring to his research findings, he said that the water-stress condition is apprehended to increase due to the adverse impact of climate change.

There is the need to recover water bodies that have either totally vanished or are still announcing their presence somehow.

As a whole, Prof Das categorically mentioned that Bangladesh is not responsible for climate change but its people are facing its impact, resulting in decreasing native fish production.