An organized syndicate is illegally operating dredging machines around the clock in rivers adjoining the Sundarbans in Koyra, extracting large quantities of snails from the riverbeds and sandbars. Aided by an influential local syndicate, the snails are being trafficked out daily by the truckload from the Kapotaksho river, the Shakbaria river and other nearby waterways. The illegal harvesting has put the natural balance, breeding cycles and aquatic biodiversity of the rivers adjoining the Sundarbans under serious threat.
A visit to the Gobra and Madinabad points on the Kapotaksho river in Koyra sadar found two boats openly extracting snails using dredging machines. Harvesters said a single boat can pull up 20,000 to 30,000 taka worth of snails in just four to five hours. The collected snails are trucked out to various destinations in the evening via secret depots along the Gobra-Madinabad road.
Local residents said the illegal snail harvesting has spread well beyond Koyra, into a wide area covering Poshurtola, Koikhali, Joyakhali and the Shakbaria river in the neighboring Shyamnagar upazila. Local residents have tried to resist the practice, but have been unable to stop the syndicate’s activities.
Snails help keep river water clean and maintain the balance of lime and calcium in the ecosystem. Their unregulated harvesting is degrading the health of the rivers, breaking down the fertility of the riverbed soil and disrupting the food chain for aquatic life. Residents say loudspeaker warnings or occasional raids alone will not resolve the crisis, and are demanding that the entire supply chain — transport and marketing alike — be shut down.
According to the Forest Department and wildlife conservation authorities, harvesting snails from rivers is entirely prohibited by law. The Forest Department has recently recovered and seized snails during raids, releasing them back into the Sundarbans, and has detained trucks loaded with snails. Forest officials Nasir Uddin and Nirmal Kumar Pal said mobile courts and regular joint operations with police and upazila administration would soon be intensified to stop the illegal activity and protect the aquatic environment.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report