Hilsa catching goes on defying ban

30 March 2009, 18:00 PM

Our Correspondent, Barisal

Fishermen preparing to fish in Tentulia River in Char Fashion upazila in Bhola, inset, huge quantity of hilsa is still sold in wholesale markets and transported to other districts.Photo: STAR

Fishermen in the coastal areas of the southern region continue Hilsa catching despite a two-month ban from March 1. The government imposed the ban to save the fry in the breeding season in 340 kilometre area which includes estuary and rivers. But the initiative is falling flat for lack of wide publicity and slack enforcement of ban due to poor coordination among the departments concerned. The ban covers the rivers of Ilisha, Meghna, Tentulia, Bishkhali and Padma of Barisal, Bhola, Patuakhali, Barguna, Munshiganj, Chandpur and Laxmipur regions. Locals said hundreds of fishermen are still using banned current nets in Uttar Tazumuddin to Poshchim Syed Awalia areas, in the north-west of the Meghna, and on the River Tetulia under Bhola district. Although the officials of district and upazila administration, naval forces, coast guards, police and other law enforcing agencies are on patrol, they seldom seize the banned net. The fishermen, however, said they catch Hilsa including Jatka (fry) as they have no other means to survive. "We are poor people. How will we survive if we do not catch fish?" posed Ahmed Ali, a fisherman of Tazumuddin upazila in Bhola. Another fisherman said, "We are ready to give up fishing during the ban if we get alternative work for our survival". They said hundreds of maunds of Jatka are still being sold daily in 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 Fassion upazila in Bhola district. Rafiq Saddi, a fish trader at Tazumoddin said hundreds of maunds of catches are sent to Dhaka and other parts in the country every day from these markets. Abdul Aziz, Deputy Director of Barisal divisional office of fisheries directorate told The Daily Star that district and upazila administrations, naval forces, coast guards, police and other law enforcing agencies are strictly imposing the restriction and taking action against the violators.