Deer poaching and illegal fishing in the Sunderbans are on the rise in Sundarbans amid government’s three month prohibition on fishing and tourism activities there, bringing a new threat to this vegetarian animal.
The Forest Department has enforced a three-month prohibition on fishing and tourism activities in the rivers and canals of the Sundarbans, effective from 1 June to 31 August.
The Forest Department and members of Bangladesh Coast Guard in separate drives arrested 42 fishermen and seize 11 trawler and 160 kg of deer meat in last ten days.
The Forest Department also claimed that its drive against deer poaching and illegal fishing was going on.
Chhardawani police of Sunderbans said that police recovered 160 kg meat of deer from a trawler and illegal fishing net from the Chhardawani area on Baleshwari River in Sunderbans.
However, Illegal poachers managed to flee the scene during the drive.
Locals informed that the poachers are very active and are engaged unabated and indiscriminately to hunt deer at Sutarkhali, Kalabpogi, Nolian, Kalinagar, Koilashganj, Ramnagar, Banishanta, Dhangmari, Khejuria and Laudob Upazilas under West and the Eastern parts of the Sundarbans.
However, locals around the forest alleged that a group of poachers aided by some local political leaders, activists, and representatives of local government bodies, colluding with some corrupt forest officials and staff, are poaching deer in the forest throughout the year.
According to the source of the Forest Department informed that forest guards were arrested 18 fishermen and 7 trawler from Sorar canal and Kataleswar canal of the Sundarbans on June 8. Sharankhola range Assistant Conservator of Forests Sheikh Mahbub said that forest guards are enforcing their drives to arrest illegal poachers and fisherment. He however admits the difficulty of stopping such illegal activities for the vast area of forest.
Wildlife Researchers said that if such poaching continues further, the spotted, barking deer of the Sundarbans might become extinct and the Royal Bengal tigers of the forest would also face the threat of existence in absence of those deer.