Hilsa fishing resumes after two-month ban

Fishermen in Chandpur are set to start catching Hilsa early Friday after a two-month ban on catching, selling and transporting of the national fish ends.

“We hope the Hilsa production will increase this year as the fishing ban was maintained strictly and successfully” said Anisur Rahman, a researcher at the Chandpur Fisheries Research Institute.

He also said the river water quality and food ingredients were better this year which will boost the production.

Over 533,000 metric tonnes of Hilsa were caught last year but the production is expected to be 550,000 metric tonnes this year, Anisur said, adding that the production will continue to increase in the next five years.

Md Asadul Baki, district fisheries officer, said a total of 51,190 listed fishermen were brought under the government rehabilitation programme during two-month fishing ban.

Fishermen Delwar, Yunus, Nirmol, Alamgir of Haria in Sadar upazila said they have already prepared and repaired their fishing nets and boats to commence fishing from the early hours.

On 1 March, the government imposed a two-month ban on catching, selling and transporting Hilsa.

A 90-kilometre stretch of the Padma and Meghna rivers is a sanctuary for Hilsa breeding.

The ban was strictly maintained in six sanctuaries in southern districts of Bangladesh.

The sanctuaries are - 100 km in the Meghna river from Chandpur’s Shatnol to Lakshmipur’s Char Alaxandar, 90 km in Shahbazpur Channel in Bhola, 100 km in Tentulia river in Bhola, 40 km in Andharmanik river in Patuakhali, 20 km at lower Padma (Padma confluence) in Shariatpur and 83 km in the Meghna river (from Hizla to Mehendiganj) in Barishal.