The government has banned catching all kinds of fish, including hilsa, on the Padma and Meghna rivers in Chandpur for 22 days. The ban began at midnight on Saturday (12 October) and will run until 3 November.

For these 22 days, transporting, buying, selling, stockpiling and exchanging hilsa will be banned nationwide, and the mother hilsa conservation drive will be carried out alongside. District and upazila task forces have already made all preparations to carry out the government's programme.

Sources said no fisher may go on the river during the ban along the 100 km stretch of the Meghna from Shatnal to Char Alexander in Lakshmipur.

During the ban, hilsa rush from the sea into fresh water to spawn. Awareness activities are continuing in coastal fishing villages to keep fishers off the river at this time, and banners have been put up at fish landing centres and arots.

Anyone who catches or sells hilsa during the ban can be sentenced to up to two years' rigorous imprisonment, or a fine of up to Tk 5,000, or both.

Chandpur deputy commissioner (DC) Mohammad Mohsin Uddin said the hilsa fishing ban would be strictly enforced this year, and strict action would be taken against any fisher who goes on the river during the ban.

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