The Government is going to provide food assistance to 300 thousand fishermen who will be affected due to the fishing ban for 65 days in the Bay of Bengal. The restriction will start on May 20 Thursday and end on July 23.
Fisheries department source said rice will be distributed to the fishermen in two phases. Some 16,721 metric tons of rice have been distributed through the local government via Deputy Commissioners in the first phase. Basically, the fisherman who has a government registration card will only get assistance.
The Bay of Bengal is the source of almost 15 percent of the total fisheries supply of Bangladesh. It is the second-largest fish-producing country in the world. In 2019-20, Bangladeshi fishermen caught a total of 660,000 tonnes of marine fishes.
Fish production in the Bay of Bengal has been declining in recent years, so the government has taken various steps to increase the production, one of which is to stop fishing during the breeding season at sea.
Every year from May to July, fishes lay their eggs in the sea, so fishing is restricted at this time to make the movement of fish uninterrupted. Incentives are given to fishermen's families who depend on sea fishing.
The Department of Fisheries has already formed three monitoring teams for the three divisions-Chattogram, Barisal, and Khulna, which will oversee the government's ban in 14 coastal districts.
Dr. Mohammad Sharif Uddin, Director of Marine Fisheries Department MFD and chief of monitoring team in Chattogram division said, “Every fisherman who has card given by the government will get food assistance.”
"This year a total of 298,595 fishermen families will get 40 kg of rice per month. In the first phase, 56 kg rice will be distributed through the Union council," he added.
There are about 40,000 mechanized boats and 266 deep-sea fishing trawlers engaged in fishing in the Bay of Bengal. Many fishermen also fish in the sea using non-mechanized vessels and various other methods.
Since 2015, the government has stopped fishing only for deep-sea trawlers. All types of fishing have been banned for a certain time in the Bay of Bengal since 2019.
This will stop overfishing in the Bay of Bengal and increase fish production. The fishermen is directly getting benefits from this programme, Mohammad Sharif Uddin said.
However, marginal fishermen say the amount of food aid provided by the government is not enough. If fishing is stopped, their livelihood will be hampered.
“I work as a fisherman in a moneylender's boat on a daily basis. If fishing is stopped, my income will also be stopped, said Badol Joldash from Sandwip Island of Chattogram district.
He also said many other people working in the fishing sector will not get any assistance as they have no registered fisherman card.
The government has engaged the navy, coast guard, naval police and administration of coastal districts and sub-districts to pay special attention to enforce the fishing ban.
The government has put emphasis on protecting endangered fish species in the Bay of Bengal and increasing fish stocks and yield.
In addition to this 65-day restriction, fishing at sea is stopped for 22 days in October every year during the Hiilsa fishing season.