Six Arrested for Destructive Fishing in Mansehra Stream

Shazia Mehboob 

Manasera: The fishery department in Mansehra has arrested six individuals for their alleged involvement in illegal fishing activities, sources revealed to PenPK.com on Wednesday.

Interestingly, the arrests were made through social media, as one of the suspects posted pictures of their illegal fishing activity in Mangal, a major stream flowing from the mountains and connecting hundreds of villages in the region.Illegal fishing using explosives and electric currents is a growing concern for the thousands of people living in villages near natural streams and small rivers in the Mansehra district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

According to Dilawar Khan, a local environmental activist, these streams once boasted a thriving fish population, with many fish weighing over a kilogram. However, the use of destructive practices like generators, bomb blasting, and chemicals has drastically reduced the fish population, leaving the streams nearly devoid of fish.

Khan noted that authorities have recently cracked down on illegal fishing operations in Mansehra’s streams, where violators used harmful methods to catch fish.

This illegal activity involved using generators and explosives to blow up waste, causing significant harm to the aquatic ecosystem and resulting in mass fish deaths, which were then harvested and sold.In contrast to the well-regulated fisheries at Tarbela Dam, where fishing is conducted through official procedures and contracts, the small rivers and streams on Mansehra and Abbottabad sides lack such oversight. This absence of regulation has made these areas vulnerable to illegal fishing activities.

Khan emphasized that the presence of fish is crucial for maintaining the local ecosystem, which requires clean water. The decline in fish populations disrupts this balance and highlights the need for their conservation.

Additionally, if local communities fish under licensed and regulated conditions, it can provide a sustainable food source.

However, targeting very small fish is neither beneficial for nutrition nor sustainable, as it destroys the fish population’s breeding potential, the environmentalist added. 

Earlier, local residents reported that an organized group was involved in destructive fishing practices. A few days later, this group was caught red-handed in Mangal, using these harmful techniques to catch fish.

The images of their illegal activity, which were posted on social media, led to their identification. Members of a local conservation group recognized the culprits from these images and promptly informed the authorities.

An investigation revealed that the offenders were a group of 4 to 6 individuals. Among them, two were younger, and the remaining four were older. The authorities apprehended the group and imposed a fine of 10,000 rupees on them. 

Additionally, all their fishing equipment, including generators and other harmful tools, was confiscated.