Fishermen and traders along the coastal belt are overjoyed as they began netting hilsa in the Bay of Bengal today (June 12), following the end of a 58-day ban on fishing in rivers and the sea across the country, reports BSS.
Fishermen set out at midnight with their trawlers and nets, heading to the Bay of Bengal and rivers near the Sundarbans to catch hilsa amid much festivity.
A plentiful catch of hilsa is being reported today, bringing great joy to fishermen and traders alike.
Officials at the Department of Fisheries (DoF) said that over 50,000 fishermen of the coastal districts started journey to the Bay of Bengal to catch hilsa after the long pause.
The government imposed a ban on catching, selling, hoarding and transporting hilsa in the Bay of Bengal and different rivers for 58 days from April 15, 2025, to boost hilsa production through protection of the mother fish during its peak breeding season.
Officials at the DoF, Bangladesh Navy, Coast Guard, district and Upazila administrations, Police and Rapid Action Battalion conducted drives to prevent hilsa fishing during the period. Executive magistrates conducted mobile courts and punished a number of fishermen who violated the ban.
According to DoF, fishermen, traders and local people, fishermen were seen loading fishing nets, ice, fuel and other ingredients onto their fishing boats on Wednesday afternoon at coastal areas including Shoronkhola, Barguna, Patharghata and Mongla.
"We could not go to the river for fishing for the last 58 days due to government restrictions. We have maintained our livelihood with the food support of the government," said Alif Mia, a fisherman of the Chila area of Mongla Upazila in Bagerhat.
A leader of Barguna Fishing Trawler Owners Association Mahmud Ali said that many boats from the Patharghata region have gone to sea to net fish in the Bay yesterday.
"Now we are waiting for hilsa selling after unloading trawlers coming from the Bay with hilsa for the first time in this season," said Abdus Salam, a fisherman of Bangladesh Fish Development Corporation at Pathorghata in Barguna district.
"Earlier we were frustrated due to the ban on catching of hilsa for around last two months but now all including fishermen, trawler owners, traders, and transport workers are happy as they are getting the opportunity to catch hilsa," said Md Abdul Zalil, a fisherman of the area.
Md Salim Akon, owner of a trawler, expected that hilsa would be available as there is heavy rainfall in the coastal areas for a couple of days.
"My fishermen have started to catch hilsa this noon," Md Afzal, another trawler owner, told BSS.
Many fishermen, including Sagir Hossain of Jilbunia village in Shoronkhola, and Abdus Salam in Rajeswar village, said that they were not allowed to catch fish for the past two months and had to struggle financially with their families that forced them borrow money to support their families. They demanded that fishing ban duration should be reduced.
Talking to BSS, President of Shoronkhola Fishing Trawler Owners Association Md Abul Hossain, said, fishermen faced hardship during the last two months and many of them took loans from traders. Now they become very happy as the hilsa ban lifted last midnight.
He also thanked the Interim Government for rearranging hilsa fish banning period in the Bay keeping similarity with India following the demand of the fishermen and traders.
Hossain, who is also a fish trader, said buyers from different areas across the country including Dhaka, Khulna, Rajshahi, Bogura and other places are coming to fish landing stations in Patuakhali, Bagerhat and Barguna districts.
Bd-Pratidin English/ARK
