The fisheries department is in a quandary as fishermen have been indiscriminately catching Hilsa from the Ganga in Murshidabad, ignoring a ban on catching the fish between September 15 to October 24 because it is their spawning time. Fisheries officials in Behrampore said that fishermen are paying no heed to the notification that was publicised through distribution of leaflets and announcements on the riverbank over public address system. From next year the fisheries department will organise awareness camps for fishermen. But fisheries department officials said that Bangladesh enforces the ban on the other side of the border quite effectively where the restriction is in effect from October 1 to October 22. “As a result of effective implementation of the ban, there has been an increase in production of Hilsa in Bangladesh significantly,” said an official. Officials pointed out that lack of awareness about the ban among the fishermen who cast their nets in the Ganga to catch Hilsa has led to catching of the fish during the spawning time. Hilsa is being indiscriminately caught in the Ganga at Farakka, Samserganj and Suti areas of the district. Assistant director of fisheries in Behrampore, Jayanta Kumar Pradhan, said, “We have tried to make fishermen aware by distributing leaflets explaining the reasons behind the ban. Also, we have made announcements over public address system asking fishermen not to catch Hilsa between September 15 and October 25 as it is the period when the spawning takes place. However, as we are understaffed and the puja holidays came along, the fishermen took the opportunity and resorted to indiscriminate fishing.” A fisherman of Farakka, Sipon Haldar, said that there has been a glut of Hilsa in the Ganga that has flowed in from Bangladesh. A fisherman is catching 20kg to 30kg of Hilsa per day and there are hundreds of us who are casting our nets daily to catch the fish.” Asked about the Bengal government’s ban on netting Hilsa between September 15 and October 24, fishermen said they were unaware about it. A fisherman Haider Ali said, “We are not aware of any such ban on Hilsa fishing during this period. We don’t even want to know.” A fisheries official said that most fishermen are unlettered and awareness camps should be held to speak to fishermen in the villages. Assistant director Pradhan said, “From next year we will intensify our campaign making fishermen aware of the ban.”