41 MT jatka seized, 8 jailed, 44 fined

Coastguards and staff of the fisheries department seize huge quantity of jatka (hilsa fry less than 10 inches in length) from two trawlers on the Kirtonkhola River in Barisal early yesterday. Photo: Star

Staff of the fisheries department with the help of coastguards and the district administration jailed eight fishermen and fined 44 others in the last three and a half months for netting jatka (hilsa fry less than 10 inches in length) in different rivers of the district.
They also seized 42.68 lakh metres current nets worth Tk 8.12 crore  and seized 41.5 tonnes of jatka  during the period.
Bimal Chandra Das, district fisheries officer, said special drives led by 48 mobile courts were conducted from November 1, 2013 to February 12 this year.
Besides, staff of the fisheries department with the help of coastguards raided two trawlers on the Kirtonkhola River early yesterday and seized around 1.8 tonnes of hilsa fry from the trawlers.
The trawlers were carrying the young hilsa fish from Daulat Khan of Bhola for selling in Barisal city, fisheries officials said.
The seized fish were later given to 22 orphanages, madrasas and slums in the city as per order of Magistrate Qamruzzaman, who led the raid on the trawlers.
AKM Aminul Islam, deputy director and divisional fisheries officer told this correspondent that actions against the fishermen were taken on charge of catching hilsa fry, defying ban.
The ban has been imposed for eight months from November 1 to June 30 against netting, transportation and marketing of jatka (hilsa fry), he added.
Israil Pandit, president Khudra Matsyajibi Samity, said law enforcers seize fishes and nets of poor fishermen, who are only depended on fishing for their livelihood. They also took away a large portion of the seized fishes, he alleged.