ZCZC
BSS-32
HILSA-CATCHING-BAN
22-day ban on Hilsa catching begins
DHAKA, Oct 9, 2019 (BSS) – The government has imposed a 22-day ban on
catching, selling, transporting, hoarding and marketing Hilsa fish which is
being effective from today in a bid to protect mother Hilsa for ensuring safe
breeding.
“To increase the production of Hilsa, a notification has been issued
prohibiting the collection, transporting, marketing, purchase and storage of
the fish in the main breeding season till October 30 in the country along
with the 7,000-km areas of its breeding centers under the ‘Hilsa Conserving
Drive-2019’,” a government release said here today.
About 80 percent of the total Hilsa produced in the world is being derived
from the rivers, estuaries and seas of Bangladesh and in the last 10 years,
the average production of Hilsa has increased by about 5.26 percent, the
release added.
“Under the government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in fiscal 2008-
2009, Hilsa production was 2.98 tonnes while it stood to 5.17 tonnes
increasing by 73 percent during the fiscal year 2018-19 because of the
prohibition in catching mother Hilsa in breeding seasons”, it said.
This year, a total of 4,14,784 fishermen families of coastal fishery areas
were provided with 35,948 tonnes of food assistance during the 65 days of
fishing ban.
BSS/PR/RQ/OG/SSS/1853 hrs