Five Bangladeshi fishermen were arrested from the periphery of the Sundarbans Tiger Reserve on Saturday (February 24) morning for allegedly carrying out illegal fishing activities in the Indian waters. 

A few guitarfish, considered critically endangered on IUCN Red List, were also recovered from them. 

Deputy field director of STR, Justine Jones, said that the five have been identified as Md Jamal, Md Golam Rabbi, Md Yasin Khan, Md Masum Billa and Md Hussain.

“All guitarfish are part of Appendix II of the CITES and most of them are critically endangered,” he added.

According to sources, two different species of guitarfish were seized from them but none of it were scheduled species. 

According to Dipani Sutaria, an ecologist studying marine cetaceans in India, said it could either be a Galucostegus granulatus or Galucostegus younholeei, both giant guitarfish and both critically endangered.

“Like all other fish, these too are seen as fish by fishers. They are usually caught on hooks,” she added. Another source said that it could be a Glaucostegus typus also known as a common shovelnose ray.

The high court directed govt to formulate an action plan to stop mechanised fishing in the prohibited zone. The court hearing on March 11 will decide the action plan to stop mechanised fishing.

Recaro Aircraft Seating GmbH plans to introduce seats made from cactus skin and fishing nets, featuring recycled foam from old mattresses and armrests made of wood and cork compound. 

The seats will have a mesh pocket made from fish netting. Airlines aim to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

Harajicadectes zhumini, a fossil fish from Australia, had spiracles to breathe air. It was a lobe-finned fish like Tiktaalik and Acanthostega. The fossil is housed at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory. The discovery was published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. The spiracles may have evolved due to low oxygen levels in the devonian period.

Source: The Times of India

BDST: 1753 HRS, FEB 25, 2024
MN/SMS