Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhter announced on Monday that the restriction on fishing in the Bay of Bengal will now last for 58 days instead of the previous 65 days.
“This year, the ban will be shortened to 58 days, from April 15 to June 11,” the adviser said during a press conference at the Secretariat on Monday.
She explained that the ban on fishing all types of fish, shrimp, crab, lobster, and other crustaceans was initially imposed to enhance the production of ilish and other fish species in the Bay of Bengal.
The 65-day ban, which had been in place for many years, resulted in a record 12.78% increase in marine fishery resources, she said.
However, due to a lack of coordination with neighbouring countries during the ban period, fishermen from those countries have been taking advantage of Bangladesh’s fish harvest, the adviser said.
Fishing organizations and fishermen have called for a more coordinated approach to the ban period, she added.
She further mentioned: “In response to their demand, a technical committee was formed, consisting of experts from the Department of Fisheries, the Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute, and other stakeholders.
The committee decided to impose a 58-day fishing ban from April 15 to June 11, as this is the breeding period for most commercially important fish in the Bay of Bengal.”
Additionally, discussions are underway regarding a proposal to impose a fishing ban for 20 days, or up to a month, in the Haor region from May 15 to June 14 to preserve local fish stocks, the adviser added.
