As the 22-day ban on catching hilsha began on Thursday, fisheries and livestock ministry has warned of taking stern action against those who will violate the restriction during the high breeding season of the national fish.
The government has taken all pragmatic measures to increase the production of hilsa. And it has been doing everything to make sure that there is no obstacle in the way of raising hilsa production. A programme has also been taken earlier to protect the sanctuaries of hilsa and stop catching of jatka.
Hilsa is the most prized fish in Bangladesh and one of the best in the world. Hilsa production has surpassed all previous records. Bangladesh is in the first position among the countries that are producing Hilsa.
The contribution of hilsha to country’s total fish production is 11%, the highest as the single species. A total of 5 lakh people are directly involved while 20-25 lakh indirectly with the catch of hilsha fish in the country.
The government has imposed a ban on the catching of hilsha fishes from October 12 to November 2 on a vast area of 7,000 square kilometers along with 27 districts in the country for conservation of mother fishes during its high breeding season. Not only the ministry or the department but everyone should get involved in conservation of hilsa.
Everyone should get
involved
in
conservation of hilsa
The media has to play a role in raising public awareness this time. Mobile court has already been conducted to bring those to book who will violate the ban. Law enforcers and local administrations concerned have been asked to take necessary steps so that no fish catching boats-trawlers venture into rivers and seas during the 22-day ban.
Apart from the hilsha breeding grounds, all the activities including procurement, marketing, buying, selling, transportation and hoarding of hilsha would be stopped for 22 days across the country. As the people who are directly or indirectly involved in catching hilsha fish in the country became unemployed from Thursday the government will have to provide assistance to fishermen during the 22-day ban.
The authorities concerned will have to start providing food assistance among the fishermen families under the Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGF) programme across the districts in order to help them overcome food crisis during the Hilsa ban period. On other hand, sometimes we noticed that that many traders or other professionals who have never fished or even gone near the river bank have got fisherman cards and get food assistance from the government during the fishing ban every year.
On the contrary, many who live only on fishing are not registered on the list and thus do not get government assistance. Keeping this in mind, the authorities concerned will have o prepare the list so that real fishermen will get government assistance.
We think country’s fishermen will refrain themselves from catching hilsha during the ban. Besides, during the period of ban, procurement, marketing, buying, selling, transportation, stocking and exchange of hilsa will also have to be prohibited across the country.
