Hounding illegal hilsa hunters

Huge quantities of mother fish, current nets seized

19 October 2009, 17:00 PM

Star National Desk

A coastguard member shows eggs in the stomach of a hilsa fish as law enforcers seized huge egg-carrying fish worth Tk 1 crore 20 lakh from passenger launch Karnaphuli-2 on the Meghna River early yesterday. A section of fishermen have continued defying government ban on hilsa catching during the peak breeding period from October 15 to 24. Photo: STAR

Coastguards seized 100 baskets of egg-carrying hilsa worth around Tk 1.20 crore and 21 packets of current nets from two launches on the Meghna river at Chandpur early yesterday as fishermen have continued catching mother hilsa despite a 10-day ban from October 15. Acting on a tip-off, coastguards led by their Chandpur station commander Captain Khwaja Masum raided passenger launch Karnaphuli-2 from Daulat Kha in Bhola while it was crossing Chandpur at around 2:00am yesterday, according to a correspondent. They seized 100 baskets of egg-carrying hilsa lying in an abandoned state in the launch and later auctioned off the fish in presence of Magistrate Al Amin and Sadar upazila fisheries officer Amiyo Ranjan Das. The coastguards also raided a Barisal-bound passenger launch from Dhaka at the same place at same time and seized 21 packets of current nets worth around Tk 5.25 lakh. Captain Masum alleged that several persons, including Tipu Sultan MP from Daulat Khan under Bhola district, gave him phone calls to get the seized goods released. Catching of mother hilsa in 7,000 square kilometrss of water areas in coastal belt and rivers is banned for 10 days from October 15 to 24. The restricted areas are Uttar Tazumuddin to Pashchim Syed Awalia under Bhola district, Latachapli of Kalapara upazila under Patuakhali district, Shaherkhali to Haitkandi under Chittagong district and Uttar Kutubdia to Gondamara under Cox's Bazar district. The government imposed the ban so that mother hilsa from sea can release eggs smoothly in those areas during this peak breeding period. Our Barisal correspondent adds: District and upazila administrations, naval forces, coastguards, police and other law enforcement agencies are strictly imposing the restriction and taking action against the violators. Locals said hundreds of fishermen are catching hilsa defying ban in Uttar Tazumuddin to Pashchim Syed Awalia areas on the Meghna and on the Tetulia river in Bhola district. “We are trying to motivate the fishermen not to catch hilsa during the breeding season,” said district fish survey officer Bankim Chandra Biswas. The fishermen, however, said they catch hilsa including jatka (fry) as they have no other means to survive. "We are ready to give up fishing during the ban if we get alternative work for our survival," they added. Hundreds of maunds of Jatka are still being sold daily on wholesale markets at Gazipur and Talatali in Bhola Sadar, Chowkigata and Kazirhat in Daulat Khan, Shoshiganj and Char Zahiruddin in Tajumuddin, Mongol Sikder and Lord Hardinge in Lalmohon and Betna, Char Kossopia and Dhal Char in Char Fashion upazila in Bhola district, sources said. Rafiq Sadi, a fish trader at Tajumuddin, said hundreds of maunds of hilsa are sent to Dhaka and other parts of the country every day from these markets.