Water 'poisoned' for bigger fish catch in reserve forest

Environmentalists have expressed concern over reports that miscreants have poured insecticides into the Girihole stream, in their bid to net a bigger catch of fish, in the Bisile Reserve Forest of the taluk.

Thousands of fish died after the water body was allegedly poisoned by a 14-member gang from Somwarpet in Kodagu district in this forest, where the borders of Kodagu, Hassan and Dakshina Kannada districts meet.

A large number of fish belonging to a number of rare species have died in a five-km radius of the ‘Beauty Spot’ in the Bisile forest. It is said that the Forest personnel have been mute spectators to the trend and the miscreants are mainly targeting breeding fish. 

Miscreants enter the forest in groups, along with nets and bottles of insecticide, even as those manning the checkposts look the other way, it is said. Many animals and birds that feed on the dead fish also face danger, it is said. Devotees coming to the Kukke Subramanya temple bathe in this water, six km from the spot where the insecticide was allegedly poured.

Deputy Conservator of Forests Ganesh told Deccan Herald that Forest officials had visited the place and suspects would soon be brought to book.