Hilsa catch time changing

Mohsinul Karim

bdnews24.com senior correspondent

Dhaka, Sept 23 (bdnews24.com)—The government is bringing amendment to the 'Protection and Conservation of Fish Act' readjusting the period of the ban on Hilsa catch based on the lunar month during the main breeding season.

In the amended act, instead of Oct 15-24, the ban will be in force for 11 days– the full moon day of the Bengali month of Ashwin and five days before and after that every year.

Jahid Habib, project director of the Project for Jatka (hilsa fry) Conservation and Rehabilitation of the Fishermen, told bdnews24.com on Thursday that the draft of the proposed amendment was already finalised and sent to the law ministry for its opinion.

"A gazette is likely to be issued to this effect in the next week if we get opinion from the law ministry," he added.

According to the amended act, offenders will be jailed for one month to six months with a minimum fine of Tk 1000. In case of violating the ban frequently after being convicted, the punishment will double for the next offence.

In the Protection and Conservation of Fish Act formulated in 1985, Habib said, the period of the ban on Hilsa and Jatka catch during the full breeding season is from Oct 15 to 24. But the full breeding season in fact comprises 11 days.

"As a result, it could not be possible to stop Hilsa catching on the 11 days in any of the years during the ban. The fishermen get opportunity to catch mother Hilsa and Jatka in this time, which greatly dwindles the country's Hilsa production," he added.

As per the revised law, this year Hilsa catching has been banned for 11 days from Oct 6 to 16 (Ashwhin 19-29). All sorts of transportation, sale and stock of hilsa and jatka have also been prohibited during the period.

"The initiative to amend the provision has been taken to boost hilsa fish production," the official added.

The programme will be observed across the country this year for the first time though in the previous years the government banned Hilsa fishing at four points in 7,000 square kilometres of water include Shaherkhali-Haitkandi point in Chittagong in the north-east, Uttar Kutubdia-Gondamara point in Cox's Bazaar in the south-west, Uttar Tazumuddin-Pashchim Syed Awalia point in Bhola in the north-west and Latachapli point of Kalaparha Upazila in Patuakhali in the south-west during Oct 15-24.

According to the fisheries directorate, the procurement of hilsa this year is better than that of the previous years and the export has also been a record.

Bangladesh has exported 2,300 metric tonnes of hilsa worth around Tk 1 billion in the first 79 days of the current fiscal (July 1 to Sept 19). In the same period last year, only Tk 20 million worth of the fish were exported. The country exported hilsa worth Tk 352 million in the last fiscal.

bdnews24.com/mk/mi/skb/bd/1940h