Community Fishing Banned at Deepor Beel, Assam Ramsar Site

The Kamrup district administration has issued a notification prohibiting community fishing at Deepor Beel wetland located on the south-west of Guwahati. Also, Deepor Beel is the only Ramsar site of Assam state.

Key Points

• The prohibition has been made under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (Cr. PC).
• The order has been passed looking at the possibility of community fishing on the wetland on January 3.
• The prohibition will be in place till mid-January or till Bhogali Bihu which sees mass fishing in various parts of the states.
• Community fishing is illegal under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and such acts cause damage to the ecosystem of any area.
• This prohibition was a necessary step for preventing fishing, excavation, and construction in and around the wetland.

Deepor Beel

Deepor Beel was designated a Ramsar site in the year 2002 for supporting aquatic life forms and 219 species of birds. A wetland of international importance is declared as a Ramsar site under the Convention on Wetlands.

As per the experts, the area of Deepor Beel was around 6,000 hectares in the late 1980s. Now, its area has reduced by around 35% since 1991. At present, the Deepor Beel has an area of 4,014 hectares.