Illegal catfish farms thriving

The Hindu‎‎‎‎: Palakkad: Tuesday, October 04, 2016.

Illegal farms cultivating exotic fish variety Magar alias Clarias gariepinus are mushrooming in the eastern border villages of Palakkad district despite strict orders from Union government and Kerala High Court to completely destroy the existing stock of the species which poses threat to local fish varieties besides causing severe contamination of water sources.

A special squad deputed by Palakkad District Collector has already identified illegal farms spread in 108 acres located in 26 different centres of the district.

Shockingly, the farmers who rear the exotic fish are availing free electricity and various subsidies meant for those who engage in inland fisheries.

Largescale diversion of paddy fields for setting up the farms has also come under the notice of the squad.

Most of the magar growers have high political clout apart from money and muscle power.

So the district officials are delaying the process of initiating action against them.

Clandestine rearing

Clandestine rearing of the carnivorous catfish, known locally as African Mushi, is on in areas like Kozhinjampara, Gopalapuram, Chittur, Thathamangalam, Athicode, Vannamada, and Eruthempathi.

Police and Fisheries departments have also failed to initiate any action against these farms.

Documents accessed under the Right to Information Act (RTI) from the Kozhinjampara grama panchayat prove that 14 major farms, against which the local body issued stop memos sometime ago, are still functioning.

Health inspector Roy Wilfred, who brought the matter to the notice of authorities, says farms using chicken waste as the major feed are causing irreparable damage to local environment and water sources.

The National Committee constituted under the chairmanship of the Joint Secretary (Fisheries), Government of India, to oversee and regulate the introduction of exotic aquatic organisms in Indian waters, at its first meeting on December 19, 1997, had directed State governments and Union Territories to “take immediate steps to destroy the existing stocks of exotic Magar and big head fish which had been introduced without official sanction in the country.”