KHULNA, Oct 30, 2019(BSS) – Fishermen are taking preparations with their
rafts and nets for catching fish in the Bay of Bengal and rivers adjacent to
Sundarbans as an embargo on catching the popular fish is going to end
tonight.
Officials at the Department of Fisheries said thousands of fishermen of
the coastal districts are taking preparation to go to the Bay of Bengal to
catch hilsa after the long pause that started on October 9.
The government imposed a ban on catching, selling, hoarding and
transportation of hilsa in the Bay of Bengal and different rivers for 22 days
to boost Hilsa production through protection of the mother fish during its
peak breeding season.
Officials at the Fisheries Department, Bangladesh Navy, Coast Guard,
district and upazila administrations, police and Rapid Action Battalion
conducted drives to prevent Hilsa fishing during the period.
Executive magistrates conducted mobile courts and punished a number of
fishermen who violated the ban.
The fishermen are seen bringing their trawlers to rivers from the dockyard.
They are also preparing their daily essentials to load those in the trawlers
as they have to pass days in the deep sea during the fishing season, they
said.
Families of over 50,000 registered fishermen in south-western districts
are busy to prepare their boats, nets and other materials to start their
voyage to catch fish.
“We could not go to the river for fishing for the last 22 days due to
government restriction. We have maintained our livelihood with the food
support of the government,” Alam Howlader, a fisherman of Chila area of
Mongla upazila in Bagerhat, told BSS today.
Meanwhile, local fishermen in a human chain at Chila Bazar in Mongla
upazila this morning alleged that the Indian fishermen had entered Bangladesh
water territory illegally to catch Hilsa during the ban period. At least 63
Indian fishermen were arrested from the Bay while fishing Hilsha.
They sought government step to stop Indian fishermen’s intrusion into the
territory of Bangladesh.
General Secretary of Mongla Fishermen Association Abdur Rashid Howlader,
leaders of fishermen Pilat Mondal, Geeta Halder, Nazmul Haque and Maruf
Billah spoke at the human chain.