Blera D’Souza, an entrepreneur engaged in cage aquaculture along the banks of the Netravati River near Ullal Hoige, is facing significant losses as all the pompano and mussels in her cages have perished in the past few days. D’Souza, who invested nearly Rs 12 lakh in her aquaculture venture, is attributing the devastating loss to suspected pollution in the river.
Having availed a Mudra loan two years ago, D’Souza had set up her cage aquaculture business, investing in cages, nets, barrels, and fingerlings of fish and mussels. However, the recent mass death of the reared pompano and mussels has dealt a severe blow to her expectations of good returns during the monsoon.
Expressing her distress, D’Souza revealed that she has incurred a loss of nearly Rs 5 lakh, including the costs of maintenance and feed for the fish, which she was purchasing from Goa. The usual harvesting time during the monsoon, when deep-sea fishing is restricted, has left her with nothing to sell in the market this season.
D’Souza has reported her plight to the Department of Fisheries and sought assistance. A team of experts from the College of Fisheries has already visited the site, collecting samples to investigate the cause of the mass death. D’Souza had even ordered fingerlings of sea bass to boost fish production, but due to the crisis, she had to cancel the order.
The situation is not isolated to D’Souza’s aquaculture venture; other fishermen in the vicinity have also reported the discovery of dead marwai (clams) in the river. While the exact cause of the fish and mussel deaths is yet to be determined, pollution is being considered as a potential factor.
Dilip Kumar, Assistant Director of the Fisheries Department, stated that the department has sought assistance from the College of Fisheries to analyse the collected samples. Following the receipt of the lab report, the department plans to approach the Environment Department and the State Pollution Control Board for further investigation. Kumar emphasized that such adversity in the area is unprecedented, and a comprehensive lab report is essential to uncover the actual reason behind the alarming incident.
Source: TOI
