In view of the safety of human life, the Fisheries Department destroyed about 6 quintals of banned Thai Mangur fish on Wednesday. The action was taken by a team the Fisheries Department formed under the direction of collector Asheesh Singh.

Assistant director of Fisheries Department, MK Pankhede informed that after receiving information recently, the banned fish was seized from Sadar Bazar area while being transported in two tanks through vehicle number MP 09-LR-6264. Later, the fish were duly destroyed in the government fish seed area at Bilawali. He said that rearing and buying and selling of Mangur fish is completely banned. Action is being taken by the officials of the Fisheries Department in Indore district regarding the compliance of this ban. There is a possibility of cancer, skin disease, diabetes and other fatal diseases due to consumption of Thai Mangur fish.

Farming of Thai Mangur fish in India was prohibited by the National Green Tribunal in 2000. This was mostly due to the hazard caused by the carnivorous fish to other fishes in an aquatic habitat. As per research, the Thai Magur is responsible for 70 per cent of the reduction in India’s native fish species, which negatively affects the aquatic ecosystem. Moreover, the fishermen feed them rotting meat mixed with spinach, polluting the water and destroying the ecosystem of the water body.

As a result, the National Green Tribunal prohibited the growing of Thai Magur because it was posing added risks to people and the environment.