A 65-day ban on all types of fishing in the sea, including Hilsa, has started today (Saturday).

The ban, from May 20 to July 23, aims to protect proper reproduction, production and preservation of marine resources.

Deputy chief (marine) of the Department of Fisheries Muhammad Tanvir Hossain Chowdhury said that they had already informed the local administration about the ban and released monthly stipends of 40 kilogrammes of rice for the fishing community people.

A total of 3,11,062 fishing community people from 14 coastal districts has been listed for the government support this year.

A fishing community person will get a total of 86 kilogrammes of rice during the ban period, he said.

The government of Bangladesh has been imposing this ban on fishing in the sea for 65 days since 2019 in order to increase the fishery resources in the marine boundary of the country.

Fishing community people and traders, meanwhile, have expressed their anger over the fishing ban for different tenure round the year.

They said that after passing a week of idle time because of cyclone Mocha the ban would put a further financial strain on them and the Indian fishing community people would infiltrate into Bangladesh waters.

They also demanded to prevent infiltrations of Indian fishing community people into Bangladesh marine boundary.

Local fisheries officials said that about 49,000 fishing community people were registered in Patuakhali district and 27, 277 in Barguna district out of the 14 districts.

Apu Saha, senior upazila fisheries officer of Kalapara upazila of Patuakhali, said that they would inform the higher authorities about the demands of the community people.

Barguna district fisheries officer Biswajit Kumar Dev said that during the ban period all types of fish collection, transportation and storage were prohibited in the country’s marine waters.

Rahman Majhi, a fishing community person of Alipur under Kalapara upazila, said, ‘During the blockade on Bangladesh marine waters, fishing community people from neighbouring countries infiltrate crossing our marine borders without any obstacles and loot our fishing wealth.’

Saifuddin Munshi, a fishing community person in Nijshibbaria area of Mohipur under Kalapara upazila, said, ‘When we are preparing for fishing in the sea, the ban has been imposed.’

Golam Mostafa Chowdhury, president of Fishermen’s Trawler Owners’ Association, said that about 1,50,000 people along the Barguna coast were engaged in the fishing profession, but the list made by the government included only 37,0 74 people.

Source: newagebd.net