With rafts and nets for catching fish, Hilsha hunters have started netting from early today in the Bay of Bengal and its adjoining rivers, near Sundarbans after the 65 days ban on fishing in the rivers and the Sea across the country.
Officials at the Department of Fisheries said, thousands of fishermen of the coastal districts were taking preparation last few days to go to the Bay of Bengal to net Hilsa after the long pause.
The government imposed a ban on catching, selling, hoarding and transportation of Hilsa in the Bay of Bengal and different rivers for 65 days to boost up the Hilsa production through protection of the mother fish during its peak breeding season.
Officials at the Fisheries Department, Bangladesh Navy, Coast Guard, District and Upazila administrations, Police and Rapid Action Battalion have conducted drives to prevent Hilsa fishing during the period.
Executive Magistrates have also conducted mobile courts and punished a number of fishermen who violated the ban.
The fishermen have already floated their trawlers to the rivers from the dockyard. They have also loaded their daily essentials to those in the trawlers as they have to pass few days in the deep sea during the fishing season, they said.
Families of more than 50,000 registered fishermen in South-Western districts were busy to prepare their boats, nets and other materials to start their voyage to catch fish.
“We could not go to the river for fishing for the last 65 days due to government restriction. We have maintained our livelihood with the food support of the government,” Md Kabir, a local fisherman of Chila area of Mongla Upazila in Bagerhat said yesterday.
Md Zalal Sheikh, general secretary of National Fishermen cooperative society of Mongla upazila unit in Bagerhat around 6655 registered fishermen of the Upazila have started their journey towards Bay to catch Hilsha fish after 65 days ban.
Nobody went to netting fish in the Bay during the ban, he said, adding that Fishermen had passed very hard days although government has given foodstuff to them.
