United News of Bangladesh

Bangladesh River Police seized a huge quantity of illegal nets, fish and jelly-injected shrimp during a five-day nationwide drive aimed at protecting the country’s fisheries resources and ensuring security on waterways. A total of 21,334,330 metres of illegal nets and 2,409 kilograms of fish and 300 kilograms of jelly-injected shrimp were seized during the five day-drive continued till 8:00 am on Thursday, said a press release. Cases were also filed in the naval court against 23 bulkheads for lacking valid documents, the release said. A total of 64 people were arrested in the five-day drive. Besides, a total of 26 cases were filed in connection with the seizure and three death bodies were also recovered during the drive.

Members of Bangladesh Coast Guard seized around 6.38 crore meters of illegal nets, 9,832 kgs of Hilsa and 115 boats from the coastal areas and  different rivers during the  22-day ban on Hilsa netting that ended Monday midnight.   The ban was imposed from October 4 to October 25 midnight  as part of 'Mother Hilsa Conservation Campaign-2021' to ensure safe spawning of the popular fish during its  peak breeding period.   Lt. Khandaker Munif Taki, media officer at the Bangladesh Coast Guard headquarters on Tuesday said  a total of 3,049 drives were conducted during the period and 256 fishermen detained for catching Hilsa illegally. Read: Kitchen markets in Dhaka take the heat from 22-day Hilsa ban He said that the seized nets were burnt in the presence of local administration, members of law enforcement agencies and fisheries officials and the seized Hilsa were distributed among local orphanages and the poor.  Besides, the detained fishermen were sentenced to different jail terms and fined through mobile courts.  Hilsa has the highest contribution to the country's fish production, which contributes to more than 12.09% of the country's fish production.  The production of the fish has gone up by 159.76% in the last 15 years. Read: 22-day ban on Hilsa fishing begins Sunday midnight The government also imposes ban on catching hilsa during March-April to help the Hilsa fry grow and return to  sea.  Hilisa production jumped from 300,000 tons in 2008-09 to 500,000 tons in 2017-18. In the last financial year, 550,000 tons of Hilsa were caught in the country, according to the Fisheries and Livestock Ministry. 

More than 5,000 fishermen were jailed and illegal nets worth Tk243 crore were seized during the 22-day Hilsa fishing ban.