More offenders punished for defying hilsa ban
Hilsa fishing goes on in different rivers of Patuakhali district despite an 11-day ban. This photo was taken from a river in Nimdi area of Baufal upazila at around 10:00am yesterday.Photo: STAR
Law enforcers in separate drives have seized more hilsa, arrested and fined fishermen and traders for defying the 11-day ban on the fish. A coastguard team in Chandpur during raids from midnight to 5:00am yesterday seized 96,000 metres current net and 250 kg hilsa from the Meghna River, reports our correspondent. In Bagerhat, a mobile court on Sunday night fined two fish traders and a truck driver. They were arrested with a hilsa-laden truck at Badhal Bazar in Kachua upazila of the district, reports our correspondent. Besides, another team raided a house at Rayenda Bazar in Sharankhola upazila yesterday and seized 50 kg hilsa. The team also fined one person for the offence. At least 121 fishermen were sentenced to jail in 12 upazilas of Barisal division in the last five days for fishing hilsa violating the ban that started on October 6. Bankim Chandra Mondol, deputy director of fisheries directorate, yesterday said in first three days of the 11-day ban, his office conducted 108 drives, seized 9.37 metric tonnes of hilsa and 3.65 lakh metre fishing nets, realised fine over Tk 90,000 and jailed 114 fishermen for one to two months and lodged 40 cases in the division. A mobile court led by Ahsan Habib, Hizla upazila nirbahi officer (UNO), jailed seven fishermen for violating the ban on Sunday, reports UNB. Rafiqul Hossain, officer in-charge of Hizla police station, said the seven were arrested while fishing in Meghna and Arial Kha rivers under the upazila. Local administration and law enforcement agencies have launched drives to execute the 11-day fishing ban to facilitate safe spawning of hilsa fish, officials said. Under the fisheries ordinance amended in October 2005, any fisherman or trader who violates the ban may be fined upto Tk 1,000 with six months' imprisonment for the first time while the punishment would be double if the same offence is repeated by the same offender, they said. The restriction imposed by the directorate of fisheries on catching hilsa will be in force till October 16. "This time we have slapped the ban not only on netting hilsa in certain rivers and coastal areas, but also on marketing, sales and transportation of the fish across the country," Bankim Chandra said. A total fishing ban has been imposed on 7,000 square kilometres of hilsa breeding zones at four points of seven coastal districts, including Barisal, he added. Meanwhile, the fisheries directorate has launched a campaign to make the 11-day restriction a success through creating awareness among fishermen, fish traders and the consumers. The directorate also urged people to refrain from consuming hilsa during the spawning season.
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