The government's 22-day ban on catching hilsa during the breeding season ends today. From after 12 midnight on Monday, 25 October, fishermen in Mongla and along the Sundarbans coast went out to the rivers and sea for hilsa.

But fishermen and leaders of fishermen's associations say Indian fishermen intruded and caught hilsa at sea even during the ban. If they come in again with trawlers now, Bangladeshi fishermen will suffer.

Some 800-plus fishermen in the upazila's Joymoni, Chila and Kanainagar areas earn their living from hilsa, and they have already set out in search of it. Fishermen and fishing boat owners all lost money in the first phase of the season, and this time they hope to profit from hilsa.

Bidyut Mondal, president of the upazila fishermen's association, said: "Fishermen could not profit much from hilsa at the start of the year. Now the second phase of hilsa fishing is beginning. If Indian trawlers do not intrude, fishermen may be able to make up last time's losses."

Abdur Rashid Howlader, general secretary of the Kanainagar fishermen's association, said: "There has been somewhat more rain this year than last, but not enough for shoals of hilsa to leave the sea for the inland rivers. That is why there may be something of a hilsa shortage in the rivers this year."

Senior upazila fisheries officer Zahidul Islam said: "The fishermen's complaint is correct. We have talked to the Navy and the Coast Guard about taking the matter (Indian trawlers intruding) seriously, and they are looking into it. We are also running joint drives with the Coast Guard."

Upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) Kamalesh Majumder said: "Letters have already been sent asking for more Coast Guard and Navy patrols in our maritime boundary. Even so, whenever anyone enters the country's waters, Navy and Coast Guard members are catching them and handing them over to the police."

Catching hilsa was completely banned in the rivers of Mongla and the Sundarbans coast from 4 October to 25 October. During this time the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock banned catching, marketing, buying, selling, transporting, storing and exchanging hilsa across the country.

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