The 22-day ban on catching hilsa in rivers ended at midnight today, bringing relief to thousands of fishermen in the country’s southern districts, who have been living amid much strain during this time. Concerned officials of the Fisheries Department said the initiative to impose the ban during the hilsa spawning season was successfully implemented.
Visiting the fishing village in Shibpur union under Bhola Sadar upazila yesterday, our correspondent saw fishermen were busy preparing nets and boats to go to the river. “At least 10,000 fishermen in the village have been eagerly waiting for the ban to end so we could go to the river for fishing. Finally, tomorrow [today] is the day,” said Mokshed Majhi, a fisherman and resident of the village. A similar situation was observed in the fishery ghat area of Cox’s Bazar, with fishermen gearing to resume fishing soon after the ban is lifted.
Around 50,000 fishermen in the district have taken preparation to this end, said Mostak Ahmad, organising secretary of District Fishing Boat Owners’ Association in Cox’s Bazar. “Before the ban was imposed, we did not catch a lot of fish due to inclement weather. Then, during the ban, we had no work and no money to remain afloat. The government assistance was inadequate to keep our families fed, so many had to take loans. We have only been hoping for better days to come,” he added.
“Bhola is the main migration route of hilsa to the rivers. We had a target of harvesting 1.85 lakh tonnes between July and September, but only 38,367 tonnes were netted during this time,” said Mohammad Anisuzzaman, senior assistant director of Barishal Divisional Fisheries Office. He also said the fishing ban was successful, with more raids and better monitoring compared to before.
According to Barishal Divisional Fisheries Office sources, the migration of hilsa through the rivers was less, so fewer eggs might have been released compared to previous years, but it will take a few more days to fully learn the situation. A total 3,19,830 tonnes of rice was distributed among 4.21 lakh registered fishermen in Barishal division during the ban period as assistance under the VGF programme.