The Daily Morning Voice Online Desk: The government has finally banned the suckerfish in the country, terming it a malicious species posing a serious threat to aquatic biodiversity. In this regard, on 11 January, fisheries and water resources ministry issued a gazette notification signed by the ministry’s deputy secretary Mrinal Kanti Dey, at the directive of president M Abdul Hamid. Earlier on 25 September, the ministry issued a gazette to amend section 18 under the Protection and Conservation of Fish Act-1950 to ban the suckerfish.

In the gazette, the ministry asked for complaints and advice from the people, if they have, over the matter within two months. Since no advice and complaints were found from the people within the designated period, the government decided to amend the act. According to the sub-section 2 of section 18 under the act, nobody will be eligible for importing, exporting, cultivating, breeding, transporting, selling, marketing and conserving the suckerfish.

The fisheries ministry has long been publicising the suckerfish as malicious. This species of aquarium fish was first brought to the country from Brazil in 1980. Now, the fishermen are finding the fishes in their nets on a large scale in rivers, canals, wetlands and ponds. The ministry said the malicious fish is posing serious threats to aquatic biodiversity, especially to the local fish species.