Jamsheed Rasool
Ganderbal, August 26 (KSNN) : In violation of norms put forward by the fisheries department, some locals have been reported to use ‘nets’ to catch the elusive trout in bulk in the famous Gangbal lake situated at the foothills of Mount Harmukh in Ganderbal district of north Kashmir.
The Kashmir Scenario is in possession of photographs showing locals remove the net after many trout fishes got entangled to it, while the baffled anglers with requisite permission from fisheries department in their pockets look in desperation.
The fisheries department manual on ‘do’s and don’ts’ of fishing in Gangbal lake, situated at an altitude of 3600 metres from sea level, specifically mentions that there is no other valid mode of fishing allowed in the high altitude oligotrophic lake other than angling with a rod using ‘fly’ as a bait. The manual also mentions that an angler cannot catch more than six trout in a day and in case the local species of fish gets hooked to the bait, the angler has to throw it back to the lake.
“I wonder how these people are allowed to catch trout in bulk. What is the fun of angling when people can use nets to catch trout in bulk? I came from Holland to fish in this sublime lake. It is not sportsmanship and the state government must take action against these people,” said a foreign tourist Valesh Vander hook while displaying photographs of illegal fishing at the lake.
Vander hook was furious about the fact that many fry get entangled in these fishing nets thus adversely affecting the growth of trout population; a fact corroborated by the Fisheries department manual which orders anglers to throw back the fry trout to the lake immediately after hooking it.
While district Ganderbal has about 22 trout fishing beats starting from Waylu Bridge to Resin, the fisheries department says it is understaffed to man so many beats.
“Ganderbal district is a newly created district. Fisheries department is utterly understaffed to man all the trout beats. There are 22 beats in total. May be the guard manning the trout beats at the Gangbal lake was ill the day illegal fishing took place at the lake. “ADF Ganderbal M.A.Samoom told the Kashmir Scenario over phone.
Gangbal Lake, which is at an altitude of 3600 metres from the Sea level, is home to many varieties of trout including the rainbow trout and the elusive brown trout. The trout population in the lake has increased over the last decade because of the difficult trek to the lake from the Nara Nag area of the Ganderbal district making it hard for poachers to go for illegal fishing in the Lake.
While the Fisheries department charges a thousand rupees for a one day’s angling in the lake, most people do not seek permission from the department and bribe the guard at the lake.
“It is ridiculous. I bought permission from the Fisheries department for a one day’s angling and was surprised to see that I was the only one who had bought the permission. Everyone else paid some amount to the guard and hooked as many fishes as possible,” said Omar Dar an angler from Rajbagh area.
The fisheries department on the other hand says that the population of trout in the lake has increased manifold in the lake. The high altitude of the lake, the steep climb leading to it and the inclement weather and lack of human habitat around the lake are some of the impediments in guarding the lake.
“The fact that the people are using nets indicates there are plenty of fishes in the lake. The lake is an eight hours trek from Naranag and there is no human habitation near the lake. To add to it the weather may change any time. It is difficult to man this beat,” Samoon said.
The first batch of trout Ova of 10,000 eggs arrived from UK in 1989 with the courtesy of duke of Bedford, to whom the Kashmiri Maharaja presented Kashmir stag trophy through Sir Adelbert Talbot, British resident at Srinagar. The first batch, however, perished due to non-existence of air transport. The second shipment of trout ova arrived in excellent condition from Scotland in the month of December in 1900. Out of the 1800 fry 1000 were transferred to Panzagam Dachigam about 24km from Srinagar and the rest of 800 fry were reared in the premises of a private carpet factory owner in Baghi Dilawar khan in the heart of the city of Srinagar near Khankahi- Mualla.
In 2009-10, the department of Fisheries for the first time introduced the centrally sponsored Scheme of Rashtriya krishi Vikas Yojana. Under this Scheme financial assistance for establishment of Carp units and Trout Rearing Units were provided to the rural educated unemployed youth.