Brood fish in the Halda have released sample eggs – indicating full spawning – since Saturday night at various points of the river.
Egg collectors got 200-500 grammes of eggs on average since Saturday night from the river.
Ashu Barua from Madunaghat area, a seasoned egg collector, told The Daily Star that they started coming across the eggs since Saturday night and hope to see full spawning soon.
Professor Manzoorul Kibria, an eminent Halda researcher, told
halda river
Expert calls for saving Halda
Odommo Chattagram
Expert calls for saving Halda
The country’s largest fish spawning ground, the Halda river, is being destroyed for construction of unplanned structures and brick kilns on the banks and
discharges from adjacent power plants, Halda expert Manzoorul Kibria said yesterday.
“The Halda is not only a river, it is a heritage,” he said, calling for the authorities
Fishes spawn in Halda amid rain
Hundreds of spawn collectors with their boats and nets started collecting released eggs of indigenous species of carps from the Halda river in Chittagong for the second time this year, ignoring incessant shower yesterday morning.
The Halda, which flows through Hathazari and Raozan upazilas, is one of the world’s major natural sweet water fish breeding spots.
It is also the major source of carp fishes like ruhi, katol, mrigel and kalbaush in the country.
Heavy rain accompanied
Exhibition highlights Halda’s beauty and contribution
River Halda flows through the heartlands of Chittagong. It serves as a lifeline to millions living on her banks. An exhibition of photo and video presentation titled Halda: River of Mystery was inaugurated at the Berlin Hall of Goethe Institut in Dhanmondi at Dhaka on 20 July.
Monjurul Kibria, Associate Professor, Department of Zoology, University of Chittagong, inaugurated
Halda carp spawning ground under threat
The river Halda, the only natural carp breeding ground in the world and major source of major carps like Rui, Katla and Mrigel, is facing a threat to its existence.
Man-made problems and natural disasters brought the spawning ground to this position of decline.
Interference from man include cutting bends in the river to slow down its current, massive sand lifting, dumping of industrial waste, unplanned construction, rampant construction of sluice gates and indiscriminate catching and killing of mother fishes.
Natural disasters like
Halda fishes act unusually
Release eggs before rain; fishermen see salty water intrusion as reason
Even in weather adverse to laying eggs, a number of fish species yesterday started releasing spawns in the Halda river at Hathazari and Raozan upazilas, the only natural fish breeding centre of sweet water in the subcontinent.
Mother fishes depend on special factors like water temperature, specific water current, rain and lightning to lay eggs.
But local fishermen and experts said they released eggs in the river although nothing like that happened yesterday.
The fishermen have begun