Guwahati: A man has been arrested for illegally fishing a rare ornamental fish in Orang National Park and Tiger Reserve on Sunday.
The accused identified as Mazit Ali, a resident of Kachomari in Nepaligaon.
According to reports, Ali has been arrested for slipping into the national park to catch a rare species known as the Barca snakehead. The fish is also known as Channa Barca locally called Pipli Cheng.
The accused and four others attempted to catch this species of fish from water bodies within the park’s Chandapur anti-poaching camp area.
However, the four accomplices managed to flee and Ali was apprehended on the spot.
The fish is in high demand on the illegal market.
A single fish measuring only 100 grammes might sell for Rs 10,000.
A case has been filed in this regard under the Wildlife Protection Act.
The Barca snakehead (Channa Barca) is a rare species of snakehead fish. It is endemic to the upper Brahmaputra River basin in north-eastern India and Bangladesh.