Two years after Uttarakhand became the first state in the country to ban angling — catching fish using hooks and releasing them back into rivers and ponds in forests — the decision has been reversed. An order to this effect, dated November 18, signed by the chief wildlife warden JS Suhag has been sent to all divisional forest officers.

The order says the state wildlife board, in its meeting held last year, decided that angling should be permitted in state’s reserve forest areas, provided norms are followed. Among the norms that have been laid down are that angling will be permitted in eight specified rivers on a ‘catch and release’ basis only and permission will be given by the DFO of the area for the activity to be conducted between sunrise and sunset.

The season for angling has been specified as being between September 15 and May 31.