Commercial fishing will be banned in Singanallur lake from January 1 to preserve biodiversity, municipal administration minister SP Velumani said here on Sunday. All the 19 lakes in the district were leased out to carry out commercial fishing. But overfishing has affected Singanllur lake, the minister said while speaking at an event organised by the Centre for Urban Biodiversity Conservation and Education (Cube) along with city corporation to celebrate the first anniversary of the declaration of Singanallur lake as an urban biodiversity conservation zone. As most of the native freshwater fish species are facing extinction, activities to preserve them and to create awareness about them will be carried out. Research will also be encouraged. I hope the lake will look like Vedanthangal bird sanctuary within some years, the minister said, after inaugurating the freshwater fish conservation project. The lake is also being developed under the smart city mission, he added. Velumani released native shrimps and two species of native fish in the lake. More native varieties will be released during the breeding season, a Cube co-ordinator said. We will reintroduce the fish species that were common here 30 years ago. It will take five to six years to see the results. Some scientists are assisting us in the work. The lease period for the fisherman, who had been carrying out commercial fishing in Singanallur lake, ends on December 31 and the fisheries department will not renew the contract, a senior corporation official said. Spread over an area of 288 acres, 720 flora and fauna species were found in the lake over a period of 10 years. As many as 400 varieties of flora, including 200 varieties of herbal plants were found. The lake also hosts 10 rare bird species.