Activist seeks Centre’s intervention to end illegal fishing in Kaziranga

Guwahati, Sept 16: Voicing concern over illegal mass fishing inside the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNP) for two days in January every year, wildlife activist Rohit Choudhury has sought the intervention of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) to stop the continuous violation of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

In a letter to the MoEFCC, Choudhury said that every year in the month of January, thousands of people enter the Kaziranga National Park for illegal fishing in full view of the civil, police, and forest administration, making a mockery of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.

The letter stated: “Every year, the divisional forest officer of the Eastern Assam Wildlife Division cum deputy director, Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, writes to the civil and police administrations of both Golaghat and Nagaon districts and the office of the field director, Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, informing them about the illegal fishing that is likely to take place during 13th to 15th January. Thereafter, perfunctory paperwork is carried out by the Golaghat and Nagaon district administrations and the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve authorities, and orders are issued ostensibly to prohibit the illegal fishing.

“Nevertheless, thousands of people are allowed to enter the park on the designated dates in presence of the entire administration and carry out the illegal fishing.”

Mentioning that on January 7 last, he had tried to draw the attention of the State’s Chief Secretary and all the authorities concerned regarding the illegal entry of people for mass fishing inside the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, Choudhury said that this year, too, similar letters (dated 10/01/2025) were addressed by the office of the DFO of the Eastern Assam Wildlife Division to the co-district commissioners of Bokakhat co-district (under Golaghat district) and Kaliabor co district (under Nagaon district), informing them of the likelihood of illegal community fishing taking place inside the Kaziranga National Park during the Magh Bihu festival.

The letters mentioned, “...Wildlife includes any animal, aquatic or land vegetation which forms part of any habitat as defined by Sec 2(37) of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and offences related to violation of Sec 27 and 29 under the Act, i.e., illegal entry into the KNP and destruction are cognizable and non-bailable.”

“In spite of me flagging the issue with the State’s Chief Secretary, the Assam Police, and the forest headquarters of the State, and with the MOE FCC and NTCA, illegal entry into the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve was allowed on 13th January, 2025, by the government departments at the district level, making a mockery of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. It was more appalling that even after the illegal entry into the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve for mass fishing, offices of the divisional forest officer, Eastern Assam Wildlife Division, and the field director, KNP&TR, did not lodge any complaint/file any FIR against the illegal entry into the park,” Choudhury said.

Choudhury further accused the current Kaziranga KNP field director and the DFO of the Eastern Assam Wildlife Division, Bokakhat, of turning a blind eye to the illegal fishing activities, “demonstrating their passive acquiescence to the illegal mass fishing, and should be treated as dereliction of duty.”

Copies of the letter have also been forwarded to the state’s Chief minister and Chief Secretary, Assam’s DGP, and the Secretary of the MoEFCC.

By Staff Reporter