Fishermen in troubled waters in Himachal Pradesh

Fishermen in troubled waters in Himachal PradeshKangra Valley (Himachal Pradesh), Jan. 10 : Fishermen in Himachal Pradesh''s Kangra Valley are searching for fish in the Pong reservoir.

About five tons of fish have disappeared from the water reservoir this year, according to Bodh Raj, the Manager of the Khatiar Fish Collection Society.

The fishermen are attributing it to migratory birds preying on the fish.

A disappointed fisherman, Dharam Pal, said that fishing is not a reliable profession to sustain one''s livelihood.

"I have not been going for fishing for the last four days. Most of the fish collection societies are facing rough phase now. It is very difficult for us to feed our children from this profession," said Dharam Pal.

Raj expressed ignorance about the causes behind the fishes vanishing.

"Global warming level has increased worldwide, one can witness its affects even in the Pong Reservoir. For the past three years, we are recording a consistent decrease in number of fish. Now, the condition is more alarming than last year. This year there is a drop of five tons of fishes," said Raj.

He added that the society had 129 fishermen registered with them and these days they are collecting maximum 90 to 100 kg of fish only.

Experts attribute it to the cumulative effect of global warming, illegal fishing and migratory birds. (ANI)

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