Illegal fishing in Sukhna is posing a threat to fish in the lake. In the absence of a proper check, the illegal activity is going on unabated in the garb of angling in the lake. Though officials of the Department of Fisheries claim that no fishing is allowed in the lake and licences are issued only for angling, the situation on the ground is different. When this correspondent visited the lake today, some persons were fishing without a licence. They failed to show the licence when asked for it. It seems the Department of Fisheries is not serious about checking the illegal practice. A board carrying instructions for anglers has been displayed. Some of the instructions seem weird. According to the instructions, a licensee shall not catch fish of a size smaller than 20 cm. They will not be allowed to catch more than two fish (maximum weight of 3.5 kg). According to the rules, the anglers have to leave the fish back in the lake if it is smaller than 20 cm. The notice states that the time for angling is from 10 am to 4 pm and those violating the rules are liable for punishment. Sumit Kumar, a regular visitor to the lake, says he hardly finds any official keeping tabs on anglers. He says the instructions displayed on the notice board mean little in the absence of CCTV cameras or a proper check as no one knows how many fish the anglers take away from the lake daily. The instruction regarding the weight limit of 3.5 kg of two fish is also not practical. There is no provision to weigh the fish. Dr Kanwarjit Singh, Joint Director of the Department of Fisheries, says angling has been allowed with a view to developing it as a sport, besides maintaining the ecological balance of the lake. Strict conditions have been laid for it, he says, adding that he will look into the issue of illegal fishing in the lake.