Fishermen set to resume hilsa fishing as ban ends midnight

Fishermen are set to resume hilsha fishing this midnight with the end of a 22-day ban on catching, selling, and transporting the fish.

During visits to various areas in Sadar upazila, including Raghunathpur, Harina, Ananda Bazar, Ranagoal, and Zafrabad, many fishermen were found busy repairing their nets and boats.

Several fishermen, including Shahjahan and Anwar Hossain, voiced frustrations over illegal fishing in Munshiganj and Shariatpur districts, saying that some fishers had disregarded the government-imposed ban. 

Due to illegal fishing, fishermen struggle to find hilsa even after the end of the ban period, they said.

They also expressed dissatisfaction with the government's food assistance provided during the ban, noting that rising costs of essentials have made it difficult to support their families, especially bearing their children's educational costs.

According to the district fisheries department, the ban was enforced to protect mother hilsa during its peak breeding season, thereby boosting hilsa output.

The restriction on catching, selling, storing, and transporting hilsa began on 13 October and will be lifted this midnight. 

Approximately 50,000 fishermen, including 44,035 registered fishermen from Shatnol in Matlab North upazila to Char Bhairabi in Haimchar upazila of Chandpur district, are gearing up to resume fishing.

During the 22-day ban, district and upazila task force members arrested 372 fishermen, said HM Iqbal, officer-in-charge of Chandpur River Police.

Assistant District Fisheries Officer Farhana Akter Ruma reported that a total of 602 drives were conducted by the task force during the ban period.

Besides, a total of 239 cases were filed and 2.731 tonnes of hilsa along with 1.75 million meters of illegal fishing nets were seized.