Nagpur: The Fisheries Department’s Nagpur division has seized and destroyed more than 54 tonnes of banned African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) in what officials describe as one of Maharashtra’s biggest enforcement drives against illegal fish breeding.The operation, spanning May and June, targeted illegal breeding centres and transport networks dealing in the invasive fish species, which has been prohibited for breeding and farming following orders of the National Green Tribunal. Despite the ban, breeding of African catfish continues because it is inexpensive to rear, grows rapidly and offers high profits to breeders.As per fisheries officials, the department intensified surveillance during summer months after receiving intelligence about illegal farming and transportation of the species. Acting on specific inputs, officials intercepted consignments, including a truck transporting the banned fish, while simultaneously conducting raids on breeding units operating in different parts of the region.The seized fish were destroyed in accordance with prescribed protocols. Officials buried the confiscated stock in deep pits after treating it with bleach and salt to prevent contamination and eliminate any possibility of the species re-entering nearby water bodies. The invasive species is known to prey on native fish and aquatic organisms, threatening biodiversity and upsetting ecological balance of lakes, rivers and reservoirs.
