The two-month fish breeding season declared by the state Fisheries Department began on Tuesday. In view of the breeding season the department has banned fishing in the Pong Dam Reservoir here from June 16 to August 15. As many as 2,800 fishermen are earning their livelihood by catching fish in this reservoir on the foothills of Kangra valley. In order to check illegal fishing the Department of Fisheries has geared up its machinery and deployed a flying squad which will use a motor boat to keep check on illegal fishing in the Pong reservoir. A special patrolling party comprising department and outsourced employees has also been formed at Nagrota Surian. The party will conduct round-the-clock patrolling around the reservoir. The fishing during breeding season is a non-bailable offence. The Pong reservoir is producing Singhara fish species which fetches maximum price in the market. Apart from this, species of Rahu, Katla and Mahasheer are also produced here which too are in high demand. The fishermen, who used to catch fish in the Pong reservoir, remained jobless from March 23 to April 20 during nationwide lockdown due to Covid pandemic and the fisheries department released Rs 2,000 each to the affected fisherman as compensation. Sat Pal Mehta, Director, Fisheries Department, Bilaspur, told The Tribune that the department was all set to boost fish production in the current breeding season and has planned to put Rs 25 lakh fish seed in the reservoir. He informed that the department had called open on-line tenders for the procurement of fish seed and the tender would be opened on June 22. He said the department had launched a number of welfare schemes for the uplift of fishermen engaged in fishing in this reservoir. During fish breeding season each fishermen is being paid Rs 1,500 per month as contributory off-season allowance-cum-financial relief. The department is also providing free accidental insurance cover of Rs 2 lakh to every fisherman and providing quality fishing nets on subsidized price to them, he informed. Mehta revealed that the department had transferred Rs 1.07 crore in the bank accounts of fishermen across the state as Covid lockdown compensation.