65-day ban in Bay to boost breeding
A 65-days ban from May 20 will be imposed on fishing by commercial trawlers in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Bay of Bengal to conserve and boost the country's marine fish stock.
“Considering breeding and conservation of fish and shrimp, fishing by commercial trawlers in the country's exclusive economic zone will be prohibited from May 20 next to July 23,” said M Sayedul Hoque, minister for fisheries and livestock, during a press conference at his office yesterday.
The EEZ is the sea zone -- 200 nautical miles from its coast -- over which a coastal state has sovereign rights for use and exploration
of marine resources, including oil and gas.
To ensure safe environment for breeding, the ban should be enforced every year, the minister said, adding all the other coastal countries suspend marine fishing in this breeding season.
“We reached the decision after a long discussion with various stakeholders like the Marine Fisheries Association, the Marine Fisheries Academy, researchers, university professors and senior officials of the Department of Fisheries.”
A circular in this regard would be issued soon.
The decision, first ever in Bangladesh, will benefit the country in several ways if it is implemented properly, said Prof Shahadat Hossain of Institute of Marine Sciences and Fisheries at Chittagong University.
Out of 475 fish species in the Bay, 85 to 90 of them are commercially important, added Prof Shahadat, who was present at the meeting.
“Most of the commercially important fishes, including the pomfret, sea bass, red sniper, Bomday duck and Indian salmon, breed in this season. If we could save 10 to 20 percent of mother fishes during this period, the marine fish stock would be doubled in next five years.”
However, Ahsan Iqbal Chowdhury, secretary general of Bangladesh Marine Fisheries Association questioned why the government is banning only commercial trawling.
“Commercial trawlers are engaged in only 30 percent of fishing in the sea. So it is unfair if the government slaps ban only on commercial fishing trawlers.”
He admitted that other countries declare “no-fishing zone” or “no-fishing period”, but those are applicable to all modes of fishing, not only commercial trawling, he added.
Currently, Bangladesh produces 5.5 to 6 lakh tonnes of marine fishes every year in the absence of a marine fishing policy. Over 200 commercial fishing trawlers remain engaged throughout the year.
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