Hilsa are being caught in shoals at sea off Teknaf in Cox's Bazar. The fish weigh one and a half to two kilograms and are selling at Tk 1,800-2,000 a kg.

Ali Johar, a fisherman on a fishing trawler from Shah Porir Dwip, told Jago News: "It was hard for us to obey the government restrictions (the ban on hilsa fishing for a set period), because if we can't fish it is hard to meet household costs. Still, we are obeying them, and that is why big hilsa are now being found at sea."

He said: "I hope even bigger hilsa will be found ahead. Right now the weather is a bit bad with storms and rain. Besides hilsa, large popa (poa fish) and goijja (rita) are also being caught at sea."

Abdul Mannan, the majhi (skipper) of a Shah Porir Dwip trawler owned by Siraj Company, told Jago News: "We came back to the island ghat with the trawler on 23 July after fishing at sea. Hilsa are now being caught in shoals. We got five maunds of fish including hilsa, a third of which was hilsa."

Teknaf Upazila Fisheries Officer Md Delowar Hossain said that because the government restrictions were being obeyed, large sea hilsa were now being caught in fishermen's nets, benefiting fishermen and trawler owners.

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