The government ban on catching hilsa is coming from October 12 to November 2. Some unscrupulous fishermen are preparing to kill mother hilsa after getting the news of the ban. In different areas of Nalchiti Upazila of Jhalkathi district, these unscrupulous fishermen have started collecting dozens of current nets along with buying new boats. Some of them are preparing by repairing old nets and boats. It has been found out that some unscrupulous fishermen of “Bhavanipur, Hadua, Khojakhali, Anurag, Magar and Char Baharampur” areas of the upazila have completed all the arrangements to kill Ma Hilsa by defying the ban. They collected multiple current nets and three/four boats each. A large proportion of them are seasonal fishermen. Even though they are engaged in other professions throughout the year, they go to the river during the ban on hilsa fishing. Due to which the administration is also eager to make the ban successful A seasonal fisherman, on the condition of anonymity, said that during the ban period, one can earn 8-10 thousand rupees if one can throw a net in the river properly for one hour. Therefore, many people are attracted to mother hilsa hunting. It costs 3-4 thousand taka to buy a net and a boat can be bought for 3 thousand taka which is one third of a day’s income. If the administration also takes the nets and boats, it is not much of a problem.
Registered fisherman Helal Howladar said, among the unscrupulous fishermen who go to the river to catch hilsa, a large part are seasonal fishermen who are not engaged in the fishing profession. Some do farming, some also work as cooks but when the ban comes, they go to the river to kill hilsa. A fisherman, who did not want to be named, said that this prohibition season is dominated by father and son in Bhavanipur. It is known that even though the name of the boy Sabuj Hawladar is registered, he wanders in the river with the mother Ilisha Nidhne in the hope of making a lot of money. But most of the registered fishermen do not want to venture into the river. Because the jail card can be canceled if the administration takes the sentence. Besides, rice is distributed by the government to the registered fishermen to refrain from fishing during the ban. So we should help to increase the production of hilsa instead of killing mother hilsa with ban.
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Rezaul Islam, a local resident, said that every year during the campaign to protect hilsa, seasonal fishermen went down in groups with nets in the river. They evaded the administration and hunted mother hilsa in the river. Many times it is seen that the people of the administration chase the river from one bank to another and then they fall into the river again. If we cannot resist them, the campaign to protect mother hilsa will not be successful and the production of hilsa resources will not increase.
Jhalkathi District Fisheries Officer Ripon Kanti Ghosh said, we have a trawler for round-the-clock surveillance. No exemption will be given to those who disobey the law and enter the Ma Hilsa Nidhne river during the ban. Strict legal action will be taken against them. The government is committed to protecting mother hilsa. Registered fishermen are being assisted in various ways to refrain from catching hilsa.
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