After releasing sample fish eggs last Tuesday night, the mother fish has started laying eggs in full force in the Halda river, the only natural fish breeding center in Asia, amid this full moon tide.
Despite a few days of pre-preparation, the mother fish laid sample eggs last night under the influence of cyclone Yaas. Now the mother fish is laying eggs in full swing.
Egg collectors are collecting 4-5 kg of eggs every 10 minutes from Halda at Bangabandhu Fisheries Heritage announced by the government.
Confirming the matter, UNO of Hathazari Ruhul Amin said, “Mother fish laid a sample egg on Tuesday night. Egg collectors in the river are reporting that eggs are not released during the day but at night. I hope the mother fish will lay eggs in full force now.”
He said hundreds of boats were collecting eggs at Azim Ghat, Ankuri Ghona, Kagtiar Mukh, Garduara Nayahat, Ram Das Munsir Ghat, Mashua Ghona and Sattar Ghat in Hathazari and Raozan sections of Halda river. About a thousand egg collectors, volunteers and students of IDF and Chattogram University (CU) Halda Research Laboratory have been in Haldapara since Wednesday morning in 383 boats. Besides, people from upazila administration, naval police and fisheries office are also stationed there.
According to the concerned people, mother fish lays eggs in Halda between April and June every year. The best time to lay eggs is during the full moon and new moon. At this time, heavy rains with thunderstorms caused flooding in the river. Especially in the upper part of the river, in the hill districts of Khagrachhari, Manikchhari, in the north of Chittagong, Fatikchhari, due to heavy rains, the hill slope falls into the Halda river through the rhymes and tributaries connected with the river. Then the mother fish lays eggs during the tide.
The mother fish started laying eggs in the rain yesterday. The full moon joe has started from last Monday. The full moon will have a Joe effect until May 28th. Eggs are the best and fastest growing except in April, the sources said. But now May is coming to an end.
There are four government hatcheries in Hathazari and Raozanupazilas. Besides, many people are preparing earthen wells for egg preservation.
The Halda River merges with the Karnafuli River in Chattogram after crossing a 106 km downhill from the Batnatali hills in Khagrachhari district. The government has already declared it the Bangabandhu Heritage to protect the river, the country's only natural fish breeding ground for tidal Rui national fish. Monitoring activities have been increased with the installation of high power CCTV cameras at eight points.
