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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Veil off fishing with poison

Veil off fishing with poison

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published Published on Nov 30, 2011   modified Modified on Nov 30, 2011
-The Telegraph
 
The mass mortality of fish in the Karala river has blown the lid off a toxic secret: poison is used to kill some of the catch that makes its way to several homes in Bengal.

In the face of raids by officials to seize dead fish in Jalpaiguri, some fishermen today admitted that they use a pesticide called Thiodan to kill fish that are eventually sold in the markets.

Lab tests so far have not established if Thiodan, a pesticide based on the controversial endosulfan and once used widely in tea gardens, killed thousands of fish in the “Thames of Jalpaiguri” yesterday.

But sources said the tests suggested that the fish and other organisms died of “extreme chemical shock”. Pollution control board officials said they were also examining if medical waste dumped in the river played a role.

Whether Thiodan is responsible or not, yesterday’s incident has shed light on a fishing tactic that raises disturbing questions about the quality of the fish being sold.

Fisheries minister Abu Hena made a statement that suggested the use of poison to kill fish was not such a well-kept secret. “I have heard that in north Bengal poison is often used for fishing purposes, but in south Bengal that is not the case,” the minister said.

In the south, the rivers are deeper, which makes poisoning harder, and fish are also reared in ponds.

Endosulfan carries the risk of recurrent abortions in women and infertility and breast enlargement in men among its multiple health effects. The effect of eating fish killed with Thiodan will depend on the amount of contamination.

Most fishermen did not want to be named. But Barun Mondol, a fisherman who said he never used poison, spoke about others and gave specific details.

“I have seen fishermen fill half a drum with water and add a litre of Thiodan. This is for one cottah area of the river that they cordon off downstream with the help of bamboo frames so that the fish do not float away. Within 15 to 20 minutes, the fish float up and are gathered with the help of nets or just by hand. These fishermen do not sell their catch locally but take them to markets elsewhere a few kilometres away,” Barun said.


The Telegraph, 30 November, 2011, http://www.telegraphindia.com/1111130/jsp/frontpage/story_14817720.jsp


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