Fish conservation projectin lake still a non-starter

Coimbatore: Four months after municipal administration minister S P Velumani inaugurated the freshwater fish conservation project at Singanallur lake, the project remains a non-starter.
Reintroducing some native fish varieties in the lake on December 30, the minister had said the lake would be used to conserve the native species facing extinction. “The varieties found in the lake 30 years ago will be reintroduced. A freshwater fish conservation committee will be formed to preserve, monitor and create awareness,” he had said.

The minister had also banned commercial fishing from January 1 as it had impacted the ecosystem in the lake, which was declared as an urban biodiversity conservation zone in 2017.

However, fishing activities continue unabated though the lease of fishing rights had expired on December 31. Sources privy to the project attributed the ongoing fishing activities as the main reason for delay in commencing the project.

Local fishermen said they were not communicated about the fishing ban. President of Covai Fishermen’s Co-operative Society M Balamurugan said they had submitted proposals to renew the contract for fishing in 12 lakes in Coimbatore, including Singanallur lake, in December.

Earlier, corporation officials had said they would file a police complaint if fishermen were found fishing again in the lake.

Corporation commissioner Sravan Kumar Jatavath told TOI that the civic body has requested the public works department (PWD) to take necessary action to prevent fishing in the lake, as PWD owns it.

Even if the red tape is removed, it will take some time to launch the project, sources said. “Before introducing native fish in the lake, we need to desilt it, create islands and mounds to attract birds and plant trees along the bund. But, as fishing activities continue to take place, we could not even start the ground works,” said the source. “Also, introducing native fish species before eradicating carnivorous cat fish that thrive there would be disastrous.”

Also, the city corporation is yet to form a committee including scientists, environmentalists and government officials to identify the native fish varieties in city lakes.