Fishing for hilsa has not stopped on the Payra river in Dumki upazila, Patuakhali, despite the government ban to protect breeding hilsa. At about 2pm on Sunday, 11 October, at least 30 to 35 boats were seen fishing for hilsa on the stretch between Hajirhat in Pangashia and Rajaganj, Desh Rupantor reports.
Local sources say the ban is being flouted at several points on the Payra, Pataboonia and Lohalia rivers and along the banks at Pangashia, Algi, Lebukhali, Angaria and Muradia. The boats carry powerful engines and move quickly from place to place, making it hard for enforcement teams to cover every area at once.
Upazila fisheries officer Mahfuzur Rahman said his patrol had passed through the area shortly before, but with too few staff and only one patrol team it is difficult to watch everywhere equally; efforts are under way to add patrols. Upazila executive officer Abdullah Khairul Islam Chowdhury said the matter is being looked into and legal action taken quickly.
According to the upazila fisheries office, regular drives from 8 to 11 October seized two engine boats and 11,000 metres of current net. But limited staff and budget and a lack of fast boats mean illegal fishing cannot be stopped entirely, it is alleged.
Local sources claim part of the catch taken during the ban is stored in ice boxes and sold secretly at landing points including Hajirhat, Lebukhali ferry ghat, Angaria and the Pataboonia market. The report notes that these claims could not be independently verified.
Md Faruk Hossain of Pangashia said the rivers will soon run out of hilsa if brood fish keep being caught this way. Residents say unchecked fishing in the breeding season will disrupt spawning and want regular monitoring and stronger drives. Reported by Desh Rupantor's Dumki correspondent.
Photo: Mamun2a / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.5)
Source: Desh Rupantor
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