Law enforcers yesterday seized 1400 Kg of jatka (hilsa fry) worth Tk2.8 lakh from two retail markets in Barisal.
The juvenile hilsa fishes were caught by violating eight-month restriction against netting jatka.
Maksudul Ahsan, spokesman of the zonal commanding office of Bangladesh Coast Guard, Barisal Zone, said: “Coast Guard members seized the huge amount of jatka after two separate drives at two local markets.”
“We conducted the drives at Shaheber Haat bazar under Sadar upazila and Kaliganj launch ghat bazar under Mehendiganj upazila from early to late morning yesterday,” he added.
The seized fishes were later distributed to different orphanages and madrasas through the district fisheries office.
However, no one was fined or arrested in this regard.
Bimal Chandra Das, officer (Hilsa) of fisheries directorate in Barisal, said there was an eight-month country-wide government ban from November 1 against catching, transporting and marketing of jatka, hilsa fishes which are less than 10 inch long.
Bazlur Rashid, deputy director and divisional fisheries officer, said this year around 1.6 crore mother hilsa safely and naturally laid 49,000 kg of eggs and if half of the laid eggs could be fertilised, then 31 crores of hilsa pollen would be made. And if 10 percent of the pollen survived, 4 crore jatka could be produced.
Hilsa fries develop 2-2.5 centimetres in length each month and start to migrate to sea after reaching 15-17 centimetres in length.
They begin return journey to sweet water rivers after reaching 25-28 centimetres in length weighing about 300-450 grams to lay eggs.
If only 10-20 percent of the jatka can get the chance to reach maturity, then around 2 lakh tonnes of hilsa worth cores of Taka could be materialised this year, said the fisheries officials.
However after visiting the local markets of the city on Saturday it was found that jatka sell was going unabated defying the 8-month ban.
The district and divisional fisheries department were unable to take action against jatka catchers and traders due to fund constraint, lack of manpower, legal complications and other logistical issues, said Wahiduzzaman, Barisal district fisheries officer.
Israil Pandit, president of Bangladesh Khudra Matsyajibi Samity, said: “Without implementing a full rehabilitation plan for all fishermen, prevention of jatka catching could not be successful.”
Poverty and unemployment will push poor fishermen of the southern districts to continue catching jatka, he added.
