Despite a ban on Ilish catching, fishermen are still catching the fish from different rivers across the country.
To check the random fish netting, law enforcers, including members of the Coast Guard, conducted drives in different parts and also recovered a huge quantity of Ilish and nets, but their efforts have been proved futile.
Visiting different warehouses and kitchen markets, our Barisal correspondent found that traders are openling selling Jatka, Ilish fry, defying the 8-month ban on its netting, transportation and marketing.
Sub-Inspector Nazrul Islam, in-charge of Barisal river-port police post, said fishery officials with the help of law enforcers operating a driver in the Kalabadar River near Laharhut and detained a trawler carrying Jatka a few days back.
During the drive, six fishermen fined for flouting the ongoing ban.
An eight-month countrywide ban from November 1 to June 30 on catching, transportation and marketing ‘Jatka’(hilsa fry less than 10 inch or 26 centimetres in length) to increase fish production is going on.
Bazlur Rashid, deputy director and divisional fishery officer, if only 10-20 percent of the ‘Jatka’ can get the chance to reach maturity, then around 2 lakh tonnes of Ilish could be produced this year.
The district and divisional fishery department were unable to take action against Jatka catchers and traders for lack of logestical support, said Wahiduzzaman, Barisal district fishery officer.
Israil Pandit, president Bangladesh Khudra Matsyajibi Samiti, said except implementing full rehabilitation plans for all fishermen, prevention of ‘Jatka’ netting could not be successful. Poverty and unemployment will push poor fishermen in the southern districts to continue catching ‘Jatka’ defying the 8-month annual ban.
Our Chandpur correspondent adds: Members of the Coast Guard seized 16 maunds of Jatka conducting drive in the Mehna River and Machhghat area.
Coast Guard sources said to dodge the eye of law enforcers, fishermen were carrying the fry in a passenger carrying launch. Later, the fry were distributed among the poor.
In Munshiganj, a mobile court led by Magistrate Mohammad Khalekujjaman fined five fishermen Tk25,000 and seized two mounds of Ilish fry yesterday aternoon at Louhajang Bazaar.
The magistrate said: “Dilip Kumar, 45, Gobinda Das, 38, Dinesh Das, 40, Basudeb Das, 42, and Tapon Das, 40, were fined Tk5000 each.
In another drive, the mobile court seized 1.5 maunds fry from Konoksar bazaar in abandoned state.