After receiving a tip-off on Twitter from social activist Binu Varghese, the Maharashtra fisheries department raided an illegal fish breeding farm in Padgha, Thane district and confiscated 3,000 kg of the banned Thai Catfish (Magur). The officials from the fisheries department announced on Wednesday that they had seized 3,000 kg of Mangur fish.
The authorities took action following a series of tweets by Binu Varghese to Thane collector Ashok Shingare, drawing attention to the open racket.
Thane collector Ashok Shingare, taking strong action after the tweets, immediately directed the assistant commissioner of fisheries Dinesh Patil in Bhiwandi to investigate the matter and take necessary action.
Dinesh Patil said, "While doing investigation, we came to know that around 28 farm ponds in Padgha were taken on rent from tribals by one Salauddin Mondal of West Bengal who was unauthorisedly breeding the banned fish species in three large ponds sprawled over three acres."
Patil further added, "After verifying all the details, we, along with a police escort, cracked down on the breeding farms and removed a huge quantity of Thai Catfish from the three ponds on April 15."
The fisheries department officials followed the necessary protocols for disposing of the seized fish and deployed JCBs to dig a large trench nearby, where they buried the Thai Catfish to prevent any stench or other ill effects on the surrounding fishponds.
Sanjay S. Sable, Padgha police inspector, said, "We have registered an FIR and nabbed three persons named Alamgir Mondal, Abdul Qayum, and Yunusali Gazi. The further investigations are handed over to head constable Pramod G. Konje."
Binu Varghese, a social activist whose complaint led to the action, said, "The National Green Tribunal has banned the breeding of Thai Catfish, which can grow up to 3-5 feet long, in the country since 2000. Also, studies have shown that consumption of Thai Catfish, which survives on land, in swamps, and underwater, raises the risk of developing cancer. Besides the carcinogenic traits, it also carries fish lice (Argulosis) that are harmful to other marine life."
