Poverty forces fishermen to catch <i>jatka</i> defying ban
Poverty and unemployment are pushing poor fishermen in the southern coastal districts to catch 'jatka' (hilsa fry) defying government ban.
Fisheries department sources said hilsa production could be increased by around 2 lakh metric tonnes worth about several hundred crore taka in the country every year if only 10-20 per cent of 'jatka' could be saved from catching.
The government imposed ban on catching 'jatka' for seven months from November 1 to May 31 to increase hilsa production.
Visiting different hilsa fishing areas, it was found that hundreds of poor fishermen are catching hilsa fry with banned current nets in the Kirtonkhola, Meghna, Arialkha, Paira, Ramnabad, Biskhali, Andharmanik, Tetulia, Kacha, Baleswar and Agunmukha rivers.
Moslem, who depends only on fishing to feed his six-member family, was found catching 'jatka' despite the prohibition on the Kirtonkhola River on Friday.
Protesting the ban on catching 'jatka' he said, “We have to starve if we cannot catch fish as we borrow money from the village moneylenders on condition of giving them a large portion of the fish we catch.”
If we cannot get fair price of the hilsa, we have to face difficulties in repaying the loan money, he said.
Moslem said, a magistrate seized his fishing net and boat, belonged to his moneylender, and also fined him Tk 500 during a raid on the river last year.
He had to take Tk 10,000 loan to pay all the penalties. “Now I am repaying that loan with high rate of interest.”
In this situation, the plight of the fishermen in Barisal division have been deepening following the ban on fishing of hilsa fry.
Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), Coastguards and the department of fisheries with the help of local administration have been carrying out raids everyday in the water bodies seizing 'jatka' and current nets and destroying or burning those to enforce the ban.
Leaders of local fishermen organisation regretted that government allotment for fishermen as compensation for not catching 'jatka; is quite insignificant.
They said without creating alternative employment opportunities, the ban on catching jatka will not be effective.
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