<i>Jatka catching on defying ban</i>

Netting of jatka (young hilsa) has continued in defiance of a government ban as poverty coupled with lack of awareness leads a section of fishermen to engage in the unscrupulous act. The photo was taken from Buragourango River in Galachipa upazila under Patuakhali district a couple of days ago. Photo: STAR

Catching of jatka (young hilsa) has continued in the rivers of coastal areas including Patuakhali, Barguna and Bhola districts as a section of fishermen have continued the illegal act, causing harm to the fish stock in the important breeding grounds.
The government in 2000 imposed ban on catching hilsa for seven months from November 1 to May 31 every year to ensure its uninterrupted breeding and development, fisheries officials said.
But ignoring the ban, a group of fishermen are engaged in random netting of jatka at different points of Tetulia, Paira, Lohalia, Ramnabad, Buragourango, Agunmukha, Char Kazal and Char Montaz, Baleshwar, Bishkhali, Kalabador, Elisha and Meghna rivers in Patuakhali, Barguna and Bhola districts.
During a visit on Wednesday, this correspondent saw fishermen catching jatka in Char Kazal area on Buragourango River near Char Kazal launch terminal in Rangabali upazila by trawlers and small country boats.
Fish traders at different markets were seen openly selling jatka for Tk 150 to 200 a kg.
Meanwhile, local fisheries officials with the help of law enforcement agencies coastguard, police and Rab seized at least 32 tonnes of jatka in Patuakhali and Barguna districts from November last year to February this year.
Groups of fishermen often engage in netting jatka in the evening or at night to dodge law enforcers.
"What will we do? We catch jatka to run our family as there is no alternative work here," said Rustam Ali, a fisherman of Chhoto Shiba village in Char Kazal union under Rangabali upazila.
Abdul Motin, another fisherman of the same area, said, "I am a landless man and I am not getting food support under the government's VGF programme. Now I have no alternative to catching jatka as I have to run a six-member family."
Patuakhali District Fisheries Officer (DFO) Iqbal Hossain said they are conducting operation against jatka catching in the district to discourage fishermen during the ban period.
"In January and February, we conducted 361 drives in different areas of the district and seized 19.28 tonnes of jatka worth about Tk 38.56 lakh. We also seized 29.49 lakh metres of current net worth about Tk 47.77 crore from different rivers. All seized nets were burnt," he added.
Md Faruq Hossain, survey officer of Patuakhali district fisheries office, said they pasted 1,698 posters and distributed 48,459 leaflets among local fishermen and we held 193 meetings with them to create awareness about the harmful effects of jatka catching.
In Barguna, 12.02 tonnes of jatka worth about Tk 24.04 lakh, 4.77 lakh metres of current net worth about Tk 19 crore were seized from different areas, said Barguna DFO Md Kamruzzaman.
"At least eight fishermen in the district have been awarded jail for different periods for illegal catching of jatka. We also realised Tk 50,800 as fine and Tk 5.97 lakh by selling seized jatka in auction," he said.