Lakshmipur: The government-imposed 22-day ban on Hilsa fishing will end at midnight on Sunday (October 22). Once the breeding season ends, there will be no more obstacles for fishermen to fish in the Meghna River in Lakshmipur, like in other parts of the country. About 60,000 fishermen from Lakshmipur will go fishing in the river again.
The fishermen have already made a lot of preparations. They have been fixing various fishing equipment including nets and boats in their free time. If the weather is favorable, the fishermen will go fishing in the river after midnight.
From October 1 to October 22, it was the full breeding season for Hilsa. During these 22 days, the government banned fishing for all species of fish, including Hilsa, in the Meghna River in Lakshmipur. Due to the ban, fishing was stopped in the 100-kilometer Meghna River area from Ramgati in Lakshmipur to Shatanal in Chandpur. During this time, fishing, transportation, storage, marketing and sale of fish were prohibited. Hundreds of fishermen were jailed and fined in different parts of the country for violating this law. Millions of meters of current nets were destroyed by burning.
From field visits and various reliable sources, it is known that awareness among fishermen has increased. Compared to previous years, mother hilsa has been able to release fry without any problems during the current hilsa breeding season. Fishermen did not go into the river. The administration, Coast Guard and Fisheries Department were much more active.
It was found that the government was supposed to provide VGF assistance to fishermen for refraining from fishing during the prohibited time. But even after the stipulated time, 60,000 fishermen of Lakshmipur did not receive it. During this time, the fishermen have been living on loans and debts, but still did not go fishing in the river.
Talking to local fishermen, it is known that fishing in the Meghna River is their only profession. Since they could not catch fish in the river, they had to spend their time idle. Their family spent these 22 days in hardship. They had to take money from the moneylenders. They bought rice and pulses from the markets and markets with the rest.
Regarding the ban, fishermen said, "Even if I had the opportunity, I did not go into the river. In the last few years, I have found a lot of hilsa in the river without eggs. I have also paid off past debts."
Roijal Mia, a fisherman from Char Kalkini village, said, "If the government had supported us with rice and pulses during the operation, no one would have taken the risk of going hunting in the river."
The ban is ending. They also said that they have already repaired their boats, repaired their torn nets, and are preparing for a new fishing venture.
According to the Lakshmipur District Fisheries Office, the breeding season for Hilsa is 22 days, including the four days before the full moon of the month of Ashwin, the day of the full moon, and the 17 days after. During this time, mother Hilsa come in droves from the sea and lay eggs in the Meghna of Lakshmipur. A large Hilsa can lay up to 2.3 million eggs. In order to produce more Hilsa, a ban has been imposed on fishing for all species of fish, including Hilsa, so that the mother Hilsa can lay eggs without hindrance.
Lakshmipur District Fisheries Officer SM Mohib Ullah said that the scheduled time for the Hilsa breeding season will end on October 22 at 12 midnight. After that, there will be no restriction on fishing. 14 fishermen have been jailed and two have been fined for violating the law during the breeding season.
The fisheries official also said that the government will provide VGF assistance to 37,326 fishermen very soon.
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