A 22-day government ban on catching, selling and transporting Hilsha will come into effect from today to save mother hilsa during the peak breeding season .
According to the notification, yesterday is the last day for sale and purchase of hilsa. On the last day, consumers thronged KB Bazar in Bagerhat town, one of the largest marine fish landing centers in the southern region, to buy hilsa. There was an overflowing crowd from dawn to dusk. All kinds of sea fish, including hilsa, are being sold at high prices. Just as angry consumers are angry because the prices are high on the last day, there is no smile on the faces of fishermen and traders because of less fish. Owner of the trawler, Ruhul Amin of Boga area of Kochua said that , I didn't get any fish this time. What I got, I have to sell at a higher price. Even after selling at a higher price, it is not possible to say whether the cost will rise properly.
A buyer named Zahidul Islam said, I heard through miking that the sale of hilsa is stopped from today. So I come early in the morning to buy fish. I thought the price would be lower. But the price is much higher than the retail market. A fish trader named Hafizur Rahman said, two-three days a week, we buy fish from here and sell it retail at various places including Kachua, Badal, Signboard. It will be very difficult to sell fish to retail buyers at the price I bought .
Sheikh Abed Ali, said, this time the fishermen did not get much fish in the sea. Many fishermen will not be able to afford it. And compared to the amount of fish on the last day in previous years, there is not even 10 percent fish. And at the last time everyone wants to buy fish, so the price is high. This trader said that fish buying and selling will continue until 12 midnight. Meanwhile, the fishing trawlers from the Bay of Bengal are coming to the locality due to the news of the ban. Some have taken up residence on the Bhairab River adjacent to KB Bazar. Some have reached their destination.
Bagerhat District Fisheries Officer ASM Russell said that hilsa fishing will be prohibited from October 13 to November 3 midnight in Pasur and Baleshwar rivers to protect mother hilsa. Along with this, fishing by big boats or engine-powered boats will also be under this ban in the river canals inside the Sundarbans. The Coast Guard, Naval Police and Navy will work along with the officials of the Department of Fisheries Extension to implement the ban. To speed up this work, the leave of the officers and employees of the fisheries department has been canceled. Our patrols will be strong day and night to enforce the blockade. At this time, government assistance will also be given to the fishermen.
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