After passing idle days for more than two months, thousands of fishermen of the country’s coastal areas would resume fishing in the exclusive economic zone of the Bay of Bengal from tomorrow as the 65-day ban on fishing in the Bay ends today. The fishermen of the coastal belt are passing busy time, preparing their fishing nets, fishing boats and other equipment to resume fishing after the long ban.
The ban that took effect from May 20 covered the Kutubdia and Moheskhali estuaries also. The ban was put in place to preserve fish stock and ensure proper breeding, the Fisheries and Livestock Ministry said two months ago while imposing the ban. During the ban all types of fishing vessels were barred by coast guards from fishing in the Bay.
Due to the ban thousands of fishermen were left without a source of income, fisherman reportedly alleged during the ban. But government officials argued that the ban was imposed to ensure protection to mother-fishes during the breeding season. "These resources will deplete one day if we do not use them sustainably," fisheries and livestock minister Ashraf Ali Khan Khasru told the Media on May 22. "We should let fish grow and breed. Otherwise, we will have to suffer in the future," he added.
