Awareness Programme on Hilsa Fisheries Improvement organized

17^th to 23^rd May, 2019, Barrackpore

The ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Barrackpore under the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) Programme organized an Awareness Programme on “Hilsa conservation and improvement” from 17^th to 23^rd May, 2019.

The programme was organized for more than 1000 fishermen of Ballia (Uttar Pradesh), Buxar, Patna and Bhagalpur (Bihar), Sahebganj (Jharkhand) and Malda (West Bengal) in the middle stretch of river Ganga.

The awareness programmes were organized in the middle stretch of the river Ganga from Farakka (West Bengal) to Ballia (Uttar Pradesh) during April to May, 2019 under the leadership of Dr. B.K. Das, Director, ICAR-CIFRI.

During the programme, the fishermen dependent on riverine fish catch and fish traders shared their experience on fish catch particularly on Hilsa in the river and in market since the last three to four decades. While, the ICAR-CIFRI shared the past and present research activities on Hilsa, especially on the availability of Hilsa during 1970s, the conservational measures of Hilsa and ranching programme activities being carried out in the river Ganga above the Farakka barrage.

The fishermen from Ballia, Patna, Bhagalpur and Sahebganj reported that since the last three decades, they were unable to catch the Hilsa but were surprised to catch Hilsa of 150g to 200g with very less number (one or two) during January and first week of May, 2019.

The early findings and reports from the fishermen and fish traders have opened up for detailed investigation and underlined for more awareness programmes to be carried out in the middle stretches of the river Ganga for the Hilsa population re-establishment.

Source: ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Barrackpore)