LAHORE: The Punjab government has slapped a decade-long ban on fishing in province’s rivers, citing extinction threat to several fish species, according to a report on Wednesday.
Punjab Fishing Department also declared province’s water resources an “aqua sanctuary” for the next 10 years. The ban is on fishing for commercial purposes which automatically cancelled contracts worth millions. Under the new directives, only five fish weighing up to 8kg each cane be caught with the help of “rod line” in particular districts.
For which, the contractor must obtain permit worth ranging from Rs500 to 5,000 from the Fishing Department. The fishermen have expressed concern over the long period ban and termed it a move to affect the livelihood of their children. They demanded removal of the ban forthwith.