DHANGADI – Mohanyal Rural Municipality of Kailai has decided to move ahead by formulating a special policy in order to curb illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing in the village.
Mohanyal Rural Municipality has formulated a special policy after the practice of using explosives and fish in Karnali River and rivulets to catch fish that resulted in alarming decline of fish in the rivers.
According to Mohanyal Rural Municipality Chairman Nawal Singh Rawal, water bio-diversity policy will be adopted as part of the measure to save the fish species as many of them started going extinct due to the use of poison and electric current for fishing.
He said the numbers of fish species found in the rivers flowing through Mohanyal Rural Municipality have started declining. The unmanaged fishing has posed a threat of extinction to different species of fish and to the livelihood of traditional fishermen ethnic groups including Raji, and Majhi.
Sher and Mahasher fishes that were found in Karnali River before aren’t seen anymore. The practice of using electric current, poison in the river has also affected the water biodiversity, said Mohanyal Rural Municipality Ward-7 Chairman Khar Prasad Adhikari.
Adhikari said there is no alternative to adopt water biodiversity policy to manage the unregulated fishing in the rivers.
The rural municipality will take up institutional measures to make the stakeholders aware about the need in order to manage the destructive fishing practice, and will put a ban on fishing during the breeding season. Mohanyal Rural Municipality Ward-6 Chairman Tika Bhandari said traditional fishermen tribes such as Majhi and Raji will be prioritized while awarding the fishing contract in Karnali River.
At an interaction on destructive fishing practice organized by Nepal Forum of Environmental Journalists (NEFEJ), elected local body representatives, members of fishermen community, and representatives of stakeholder bodies, and local marked their presence. NEFEJ Coordinator Amrita KC facilitated the program presided over by Rural Municipality Chairman Nawal Singh Rawal.
