Hilsa fishing ban to end Sunday midnight

Fishermen are set to resume hilsa fishing as a two-month ban on catching, selling and transportation of the national fish will be ended Sunday midnight.

The fishermen are busy now for preparing nets and boats to go to the rivers for catching hilsa fish in different parts of the country.

With a view to boost the production of hilsa, the government imposed the two-month ban on hilsa catching, selling, hoarding and transporting from 1 March till 30 April.

The ban covers hilsa sanctuaries in six districts -- Barishal, Chandpur, Laxmipur, Bhola, Shariatpur and Patuakhali.

The sanctuaries are 100km in the Meghna River from Chandpur’s Shatnol to Laxmipur’s Char Alexander, 90km in Shahbazpur Channel in Bhola, 100km in Tentulia River in Bhola, 20km in Naria and Bhederganj upazilas in Chandpur district and 82km in Hizla, Mehendiganj and Barishal Sadar upazilas, Gazaria and the Meghna River.

The fisheries and livestock ministry allocated 80kg of rice for the registered fishermen during this ban period.

Hilsa has the highest contribution in the country's fish production as the single fish species.

Every year, the government imposes a two-month ban on catching, selling, hoarding and transporting hilsa to boost its production.