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KABUL: The National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA) local office says that excessive and improper fishing has endangered a number of fish species in northeastern Badakhshan province.
According to NEPA’s officials, both illegal armed persons and ordinary people were complicit in hunting out of proportion.
They described usage of unconventional techniques, such as hand grenades and chemical materials, of hunting as the deadliest for all species of fish.
Shabir Ahmad, 24, a resident of the 3rd municipal district in Faizabad city, the provincial capital, hunts fish on a daily basis from Kokcha River using a Pakistani net contaminated with different chemicals.
It’s not him alone; there are dozens of other people doing the same while the police don’t bother to stop them at all.
Shabir Malakzad, acting director of NEPA Badakhsna office, cited the lack of proper law enforcement as the reason for such environment-related violations – something that is gradually forcing fish out of existence. “Unruly fishing is carried out the same in areas controlled by the government, as well as the Taliban.”
According to Malakzad, the ‘spotted fish’ was in danger of extinction due to its delicious meat and beautiful body.
This is while Haroon Nejrabi, the provincial police security chief, informed of directing police personnel to prevent fishing in the province.
Despite catching fishing is prohibited just like hunting of other animals in Afghanistan, the law is not executed seriously in this regard.
Based on NEPA’s information, there has been so far nobody prosecuted over the crime of fish hunting – something that has further encouraged and contributed to increase in poaching of animals.
