Illegal Trade Network Targets Rare Channa Barca Fish in Assam

Guwahati: A clandestine network based in the Tinsukia district is allegedly trapping and smuggling rare Channa barca, known locally as Cheng fish. This species thrives in the Brahmaputra Valley but now faces systematic exploitation. The Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 explicitly protects the fish, making any capture or trade illegal without specific government authorization.

Reports suggest traders turned to the black market after their permits expired or were suspended. Collectors scour water bodies across Assam and neighboring Arunachal Pradesh to supply the demand. Once gathered, the fish head to Kolkata. Smugglers then rely on air cargo to move the cargo across borders. "From Kolkata, the specimens are alleged to be routed through suppliers to overseas markets, including the international ornamental and luxury aquarium trade, where rare specimens may fetch substantial prices," sources stated.

Environmentalists and concerned locals are demanding an immediate crackdown. They want the Forest Department and state authorities to launch a formal investigation into the transport logistics and those funding the operation. The unregulated trade threatens to devastate the fragile biodiversity of the region. Civil society groups insist that officials must identify and prosecute everyone involved in this illicit pipeline.