Over 1400 angling licenses for fish netting valid for one year have been issued by District Officer Fisheries Lahore alone. Director General Fisheries Punjab, Dr Muhammad Ayub told APP here Thursday that all District Officers Fisheries across the Punjab have been empowered to issue licenses for whole of the province after deposit of annual fee of Rs 300 only.
He said all these licenses were valid from September 01 to May 31 from dawn to dusk. Every license holder can use maximum a set of "two rod and line" and could catch fish as much as possible, he said. He further said desirous licensee could visit any of river, canal and government water except official hatchery and notified ponds. He said facility of license for one day is also available at all important headworks, rivers and canal areas.
The DG said that the district mobile teams constituted on the special directive of Chief Minister Punjab arrested 32 persons across the province for illegal fish netting. Dr Ayub said that the government had banned netting of all species of fish without license or permit throughout the province.
Those violating the order are being awarded six months rigorous imprisonment with fine of Rs 5,000 by the trial courts besides seizure of their catch and other paraphernalia. He said several raiding teams, each headed by Assistant Director, Inspectors and Supervisors would continue to conduct raids and take strict action against those caught netting illegally.
The DG said Deputy Directors had also been instructed to conduct surprise raids in their respective areas especially in the river or lake areas. Dr Ayub appreciated Director,(Hatcheries) who is also head of the provincial raiding team Dr Sikandar Hayat for showing the best performance in controlling the illegal fish netting.