I would like to start off with an issue, which we take for granted, especially when it comes to the environment around us-this is “extinction”. According to Science Daily (2018), extinction is defined, as the moment at which, the last individual of a particular species ceases to exist. Unfortunately, the moment at which a species is actually considered extinct, is hard to determine. In fact a certain phenomenon, known as Lazarus taxa is a result of the latter issue. This occurs when a species is presumed to be completely extinct, however it suddenly re-appears. Extinction takes place, due to the inability of a species to survive, because of competition or fluctuating changes within the species ecological niche (Science Daily, 2018). Unfortunately, several river fish in Bangladesh, have been considered extinct.
The slideshow below features some images of Bangladesh river fish species, which are considered to be extinct:
Extinction of River Fish in Bangladesh
Over the years, several fish species in Bangladesh have been determined to be extinct. The Old Brahmaputra River is an example of this. Several species have gone missing due to over-fishing, the use of pesticides, water scarcity and climate change impacts. According to a professor at Dhaka University, Dr. Mahmud Hasan, ”Agro chemicals are destroying the breeding grounds of the fishes endangering their existence.” These agro chemicals are used to boost crop growth, however after heavy rainfall, agricultural runoff slithers down to the rivers and this results in the destruction of fish habitats. This agriculture runoff, destroys zooplankton which is eaten by these organisms, therefore making this environment inadequate for fish to live in (Dhaka, 2014).
Habitat loss is also being caused, due to the increase in the development of infrastructure, the loss of water bodies as a result of climate change, siltation, over-fishing and the wetland conversions. In the late 1960s, there was also a boom in the Bangladesh population. This increase in the population, along with the lack of policy management, resulted in an increase in the fishing pressures on the rivers, increasing chances of fish extinction. According to the research survey conducted by the Fish Museum and Biodiversity Centre in Bangladesh, the following river fish are classified as extinct:
What are the Current Measures to Slow this Process Down?
Several NGOs and the Government of Bangladesh are carrying out several measures, to decrease this problem. In order to protect and conserve the fish species in Bangladesh, the Fish Protection and Conservation Act 1950 was implemented. This involved new fish management policies, the releasing of fish fry in the rivers for stock enhancement and also through the launching of several fish sanctuaries, in several ecologically important strategic points, throughout the rivers. These sanctuaries were mainly established by NGOs, such as CARITAS, PROSHIKA, BRAC, CNRS and WorldFish Centre (Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council, 2012).
This Act also provided regulations with regards to catch size limits, it established closed fishing seasons and it also increased restrictions on fishing gear. The government must also aim to decrease the fishing pressures during the dry season, since water bodies would have shrunk and the chances of catching fish would be higher. However, in order to fully conserve the species in Bangladesh, it is highly essential that fisheries management is discussed, between both the government, as well as the local fishers (Bangladesh Agriculture Research Council, 2012).
Extra Fact: A Traditional Fishing Technique is also on the Brink of Extinction.
The "Otter Fishing" technique, is a traditional fishing technique that is carried out on the river shores of Bangladesh. This relies on a strong bond between humans and otters. The otters are trained for several years to carry out this fishing practice. The otter's job is to find the fish, and herd it into a fishing net, which is then handled by the fishers. This technique is highly common in the Sundarbans, which is the largest mangrove forest in the world (AFP, 2014).
According to Professor Mohammed Mostafa Feeroz, this fishery has decreased by 90% in the last 50 years. The reason for this, is that fishing is not carried out in a sustainable manner, and it is resulting in the extinction of several fish. If sustainable fishing is not practiced, several traditions such as this, will be lost forever and numerous fishers will lose their jobs. According to Professor Feeroz, this fishery also conserves the endangered short-haired otter, as fishers sometimes release them back into the wild (AFP, 2014).
References:
AFP (2014) Effective fisheries management can reduce extinction risk of marine fish stocks [online], Available at: https://www.afp.com/en, (Accessed on: 11/11/2018).
Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (2012) Advances in Fisheries Research in Bangladesh [online], Available at: http://bfrf.org/publications/Advances%20in%20Fisheries%20Research%20in%20Bangladesh.pdf, (Accessed on: 11/11/2018).
Dhaka, U. (2014) Native Fish Species Disappearing Fast [online], Available at: https://www.thedailystar.net/native-fish-species-disappearing-fast-32966, (Accessed on: 11/11/2018).
Science Daily (2018) Extinction [online], Available at: https://www.sciencedaily.com/terms/extinction.htm, (Accessed on: 11/11/2018).
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