The River Police arrested 28 fishermen on Saturday for violating a two-month government ban on catching ilish in the Padma-Meghna river sanctuary area of Chandpur to increase the production of mother ilish and protect jatka (ilish fry).
The arrestees were from Haimchar and Chandpur Sadar upazilas.
All of them were sentenced to one month in jail, said Md Kamruzzaman, officer-in-charge of Chandpur river police station.
A mobile court fined and warned five minors before releasing them.
The River Police seized about 1,250,000 metres of gill nets, three fishing boats and 117kg of jatka from the fishermen.
The seized jatka were distributed among the local poor and orphans.
The government imposed the two-month ban on catching jatka to increase the production of ilish in the Padma-Meghna sanctuary under Chandpur, Shariatpur, Lakshmipur, Barishal and Bhola.
Seventy kilometres of the sanctuary of the Meghna in Chandpur Sadar, Haimchar, Matlab North and Matlab South upazilas of Chandpur district are also under restriction.
Those who violate the ban are subjected to a maximum of two years in jail, a fine of Tk5,000, or both.
