Hilsa catching continues defying ban
Random hilsa catching has continued in different rivers in the coastal areas, defying a government ban on its catching during the peak breeding period from October 15 to 24.
To help mother hilsas to lay eggs in an disturb-free environment, the fisheries department earlier issued an order, asking fishermen not to catch hilsa fish during the 10 days.
On the first day of the ban period on Friday, fisheries officials with the help of police seized 12 maunds of netted jatka (young hilsa) on a road in Patuakhali district.
Several locals, however, termed the action as 'merely eyewash'.
Visiting Buragourango River adjacent to Galachipa upazila town yesterday noon, this correspondent saw over 20 fishing trawlers engaged in hilsa catching.
"I heard about the ban on hilsa catching but I have no alternative as I have to maintain a six-member family," Chan Mia, a fisherman of Char Chandrail village under Galachipa upazila, said.
"From the beginning of hilsa season this year, we got poor amounts of the fish. We started getting good catches in the rivers only recently and now the government has imposed a ban on hilsa catching. We have no alternative as we had to borrow from mohajans or receive loan from local NGOs for survival," said Alauddin, another fisherman.
"We don't want to lose the peak season of hilsa. We are landless people. If do not catch hilsa how will we live?" said Abul Hossain Pada of Amkhola village.
When contacted, District Fisheries Officer Iqbal Hossain said, "Hilsa catching is prohibited in all rivers in the district as it is the peak breeding period for hilsa. We have organised meetings and boat rallies to motivate fishermen to obey the government order."
"With the help of police, coast guard and navy, we have arranged patrol in different places in spite of manpower shortage. We seized 12 maunds of hilsa at Tolgate on Patuakhali-Barisal route on Friday," he said.
Higher authorities have taken a rehabilitation programme, to be started by December this year, to arrange alternative income generating activities for the fishermen, he added.
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