Nainital: Terming angling an ‘act of cruelty’, Uttarakhand forest department has banned the activity in all forest reserves as well as buffer zones in tiger reserves across the state. The order was issued by head of forest force (HoFF) Jai Raj on Tuesday under different sections of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.The department also cited a landmark order by the Uttarakhand high court delivered earlier this month granting legal entity status to the entire animal kingdom of the state, including aquatic wildlife.The order, a copy of which is with TOI, said, “Although there is a concept of ‘catch and release’ in angling, but still the fish is trapped in the thorn, which leads to cruelty against it. This is a violation of the section-11 of Animal Cruelty Prevention Act, 1960.”Elaborating on the order, Jai Raj, HoFF, told TOI, “What we humans consider a sport and a time pass activity, can be quite traumatizing for the aquatic life. In angling, fish are caught using a baited hook and even if they are released it is still considered cruel and on this basic we decided to ban the activity.”Incidentally, the order will not apply to areas outside buffer zones of the reserved forest and the tiger reserves in the state. “In other areas, with permission from district magistrate, angling can continue under old procedures,” BP Gupta, chief conservator of forests said.Meanwhile, the order has received mixed responses from people in the state. While those associated with the activity expressed apprehensions of losing jobs, experts lauded the move.Prashant Bisht, owner of Pancheshwar Fishing Retreat, which conducts angling in the Mahakali river, said, “This order should be limited to the forest reserves areas only. In the coming years, if the extent of the order is expanded then many people like us will lose jobs.”Writer Ashok Pandey said that angling is practised all over the world and is more of a sport than hunting. “The activity develops concentration and patience. And its concept of catch and release proves that it doesn’t involve cruelty against animals.”Environmentalists, however, added that excess angling can affect the biodiversity of an area. “Most people take part in such activities but not always follow the rules. They catch the fish but don’t release it. There should be strict monitoring of such activities in the state. Also, before implementing any ban, a proper study should be conducted to address the problem in a better way,” said environment expert Mannu Dafali.

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