No waterbody will be leased to non-fishermen: fisheries adviser

The interim government has decided to stop leasing waterbodies to non-fishermen in order to protect the rights and livelihoods of professional fishing communities, Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhter said today.

She said permission has already been obtained from the land ministry to resolve the leasing issues of the baors, which are typically perennial waterbodies formed when a river shifts.

The adviser made the comments today at the closing ceremony of National Fish Week 2025, organised by the Department of Fisheries at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in the capital.

At present, the expected amount of fish is not being obtained from the waterbodies, leaving genuine fishermen deprived, she mentioned.

Hilsa production depends on nature, said Md Abdur Rouf, director general of the Department of Fisheries.

In many places, due to obstacles, hilsa cannot move from the sea to the rivers, which causes the catch to decrease and prices to rise, he said, adding that initiatives will be taken to establish designated zones to expand shrimp farming.