Hilsa Catching: 22-day ban starts tomorrow

A 22-day long ban imposed on hilsa fishing across the country to stop fishermen from catching mother hilsas will begin tomorrow and continue till October 30.

During the ban period, 912.84 tonnes of rice, allocated by the fisheries department, will be distributed among 67,552 fishermen registered for the Patuakhali’s Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGF).

In a meeting of the district taskforce committee in Patuakhali deputy commissioner’s office, the fisheries department planned different programmes to observe the ban. 

The programmes planned include postering, announcing the ban through microphones in different haats (markets) and at the mouths

of important rivers, exchanging views in meetings with fishermen and fish traders to increase awareness on the issue, said district fisheries officer Md Mollah Amdadullah, adding that mobile courts would be conducted in different areas to ensure the ban was observed smoothly.

Officials from the fisheries department, fish traders, representatives of fishermen, and law enforcers were present in the meeting chaired by Md Matiul Islam Chowdhury, deputy commissioner of Patuakhali.  

Pijus Kanti Hori, former associate professor of the zoology department in Patuakhali Government College, said hilsa come to different rivers in the spawning season to lay eggs. 

“During this time, many mother hilsas are caught. To ensure proper hilsa reproduction, the government imposes the ban every year on hilsa netting,” he said.