As a long two-month ban ends, fishers in Bhola are getting ready to fish the rivers again. They hope to find good catches after so long, and have already prepared all their fishing gear.

In the fishing villages of Bholar Khal in Shibpur union and Tulatuli in Dhania union of Bhola Sadar upazila, some two and a half lakh fishers of the district are busy preparing nets, boats, trawlers and other equipment to fish the Meghna and Tetulia. They will go out in groups once the ban ends, hoping to catch large hilsa and other fish.

Fishers Saiful Majhi, Abdul Sobhan Majhi, Tajul Majhi and Salauddin Majhi of Bholar Khal said: "Because of the two-month ban we could not fish. Now we have prepared our boats, trawlers, nets and everything else. We will go out in groups and catch hilsa, poa and other fish."

Jasim Majhi, Kabir Majhi and Jakir Majhi of Tulatuli said: "Our income stopped during the ban, so we ran our households on borrowed money. Before that we had taken loans from NGOs and banks to build nets, boats and trawlers. Unable to pay the instalments during the ban, we had to keep out of sight. Now we will catch shoals of big hilsa, poa and other fish and pay off the instalments and debts."

Claiming the two-month ban had been carried out successfully, Bhola district fisheries officer Md Abul Kalam Azad said there are now plenty of hilsa and other fish in the rivers, so fishers will be able to get back on their feet with good catches, and Bhola's hilsa production target will be met.

Because of the hilsa sanctuary, catching hilsa and all other fish was banned from 1 March to 30 April on 190 km of the Meghna and Tetulia rivers in Bhola.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.