Chandpur – long known as the “Home of Hilsa” for the vast stretch of the Padma, Meghna and Dakatia rivers that meet at its famous Molhead confluence – is facing an escalating ecological crisis as fine-mesh “Chinese fish traps,” locally known as China Duari, spread rapidly across its fishing grounds.
Environmentalists and local residents warn that these indiscriminate traps are silently dismantling the river system’s fragile aquatic ecosystem by catching everything that passes through them, from fish fry to snails, crabs, and beneficial aquatic insects, including jatka, the juvenile hilsa the district’s entire conservation effort exists to protect.
Once thriving with indigenous small fish species such as rui, katla, shing and magur, alongside crabs, snails and other micro-fauna, the Chandpur river system has long played a vital ecological role.
It supports the food chain, maintains water health, and contributes to the livelihoods of tens of thousands of registered fishermen. But experts say the widespread use of China Duari is breaking this balance at its root.
These non-biodegradable, plastic-mesh traps allow no chance of regeneration. Even young fish and eggs are being caught before they can mature, and the nets’ improper placement has been linked to blocked water flow, siltation, and oxygen depletion in affected stretches of river.
Residents across Chandpur report a visible decline in fish breeding cycles and a steady loss of biodiversity. Once-common freshwater crabs and snails are increasingly rare, while aquatic insect populations essential to ecological stability are falling sharply.
Environmental advocates caution that if the trend continues unchecked, several native river species could face local extinction, with consequences that will not remain confined to the water. They stress that the impact will eventually ripple through agriculture, fisher livelihoods, and food security across the district.
Calling for urgent intervention, conservationists have urged stricter enforcement of existing fishing regulations, a ban or tight control on China Duari traps in the Padma-Meghna-Dakatia system, and large-scale public awareness campaigns among river-dependent communities.
Chandpur’s rivers are not just a hilsa reservoir. They are a living ecosystem. If their biodiversity collapses, the district risks losing far more than a single fish, and its own future along with it.
