The Nizampur Coast Guard has seized 30 maunds of jatka, or young hilsa, at Mohipur in Kalapara upazila of Patuakhali. No one could be arrested.

The jatka was seized in a drive at the toll point of the Sheikh Jamal Bridge at 10pm on Saturday (6 November).

The Coast Guard said it acted on information that a truck loaded with jatka had left Mohipur for Dhaka at around 9pm, and recovered 30 maunds of jatka from the truck. On the instructions of Senior Upazila Fisheries Officer Apu Saha, the seized fish were distributed the same night among orphanages, madrasa students and poor, destitute people.

To increase hilsa production, the fisheries department has banned catching jatka from 1 November to 30 June. Anyone who catches, sells, stores or transports jatka during this period faces up to two years' rigorous imprisonment, a fine of Tk 5,000, or both.

M Jamir Hossain, contingent commander of the Nizampur Coast Guard, said: "Today we seized 30 maunds of jatka. The Coast Guard's anti-jatka drives will continue." Legal action will be taken against illegal jatka traders, he added.

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