MANSEHRA: Illegal ice fishing, which is still unfamiliar in the country and poses a serious threat to endangered trout species, is continuing unabated along the Kunhar River after the recent spell of snowfall in the Kaghan Valley.
“I have witnessed ice fishing where hunters use strips of nets and retrieve caught trout from holes beneath snow-covered water,” Hasnain Nisar, a resident, told reporters on Tuesday.
The trout fish, which are considered among the tastiest and are known to be a species of cold and snowy waters, are found only in the Kunhar River.
The river originates near Babusar Top in upper Kaghan Valley and falls into the Jhelum River at Muzaffarabad in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
“This is the breeding season for the endangered indigenous trout species, and fishing through nets or diverting watercourses in the Kunhar River is an attempt to drive it towards extinction,” Hasnain said.
He said trout fish were sold during the tourism season for over Rs5,000 per kilogram in Naran and the rest of the valley.
“Although some civic agencies working in Kaghan Valley claim to have released trout fry into the Kunhar River for breeding in recent years, no practical work has so far been launched for its evolution and preservation in the true sense,” he added.
Another local said certain groups remained active throughout the entire summer season, carrying out illegal fishing through nets and other prohibited methods, while the recent snowfall had provided them another opportunity for ice fishing.
“Although the entry of locals and tourists is strictly prohibited beyond Kaghan town, these groups sneak into Naran and adjoining areas for ice fishing since the start of snowfall, but the fisheries and other departments have yet to take legal action,” he said.
