The government has imposed a 22-day ban on catching, selling and transporting Hilsa beginning from today (Wednesday) across the country with a view to increasing its production during its peak breeding season. The ban imposed by the fisheries and livestock ministry will continue until October 30.
The government imposed the ban on catching, selling and transporting Hilsa in order to ensure safe spawning of the fish, during its peak breeding period in a 7,000km breeding ground beginning today. According to the concerned ministry circular, 48 fisheries officers have been given responsibilities to ensure safe spawning of the Hilsa fish within the banning period and they will monitor so that fishermen won’t able to catch fish during the banning period.
A total of 3,95,709 fishermen are involved in catching hilsa fish in 112 upazilas under 29 districts across the country. Fisheries and Livestock State Minister Ashraf Ali Khan Khasru about the fishing restriction said, the country is now in a leading position to produce Hilsa fish, and to ensure more and faster output during its peak season. The government is imposing the ban on its catching, selling and transporting across the country’s 7,000km breeding ground.
“Country’s Hilsa production stood at 5.17 metric tons, a 73 percent increase, during the fiscal year 2018-19 because of the prohibition in catching mother Hilsa during breeding seasons,” added the state minister. During the Hilsa breeding period, a massive combined operation will be conducted at all the fisheries ghats, warehouses, and hat-bazars across the country, Dr Sainar Alam, district fisheries officer told this correspondent.
Besides, during the fishing restriction each fisherman’s family will receive 20kg of rice from the government, under its vulnerable group feeding (VGF) program during the banning period for 22 days, the disaster management and relief ministry sources said. The Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock’s information showed, during the fishing restriction, 80 percent mother Hilsa comes to rivers to breed.
To safeguard the country’s Hilsa breeding sanctuaries, the government has imposed the ban on fishing. The sanctuaries are: Chandpur, Laxmipur, Noakhali, Feni, Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, Barisal, Bhola, Patuakhali, Barguna, Pirojpur, Jhalakati, Bagerhat, Shariatpur, Brahmanbaria, Dhaka, Madaripur, Faridpur, Rajbari, Jamalpur, Narayanganj, Narshingdi, Manikganj, Munshiganj, Khulna, Kushtia and Rajshahi.
