The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock yesterday recommended extending the duration of the ban on catching ilish fish from 15 days to 22 days.
The committee based on a report prepared by the Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute also recommended the Fisheries and Livestock Ministry for engagiing local government representatives and local lawmakers concerned to ensure the ban.
The government last year increased the yearly ban to 15 days from previous 11 days, which is timed to coincide with the spawning season of the fish.
The committee, earlier, suggested increasing the ban for 30 days which BFRI opposed saying natural balance of the marine species could be hampered if catching ban on ilish continues for one month.
“Overall growth of the fish particularly size will be hampered and capacity of laying eggs of mother ilish will also be reduced if we allow mother fish to lay eggs for around one month,” BFRI report said.
It also said that allowing mother fishes to lay eggs for 30 days will create scarcity of food and habitats. It will also create adverse impact on livelihood of the fishermen and increase public cost in enforcing the ban if the ban period is fixed 30 days, the report added.
Around 7,000 square kilometres of water bodies in the country are considered to be the breeding ground of the ilish. It is noted that fishes, which return to the sea after breeding in fresh waters, often got caught by fishermen even after the expiry of the prohibition.
The breeding sanctuaries are Dhalchar of Meghna intersection, Manpura Island, Moulavibazar and Kalirchar.
The BFRI report said usually ilish breeds all the year but breeds more during mid Bhadro-Mid Kartik and Mid Push-Mid Falgun.