65-day ban on deep-sea fishing

Industrial trawlers have been prohibited from fishing in the Bay of Bengal from May 20 to Jul 23.

The ban was put in place to preserve fish stock and ensure proper breeding, the Fisheries and Livestock Ministry said on Sunday. 

Legal measures will be taken against those found catching fishes or crustaceans during the 65-day ban.  

It was last year that the government for the first time issued the order against fishing in Bangladesh’s exclusive economic zone for a specified period.  

Fisheries Minister Muhammed Sayedul Hoque wanted to impose restriction both mechanised and non-mechanised vessels this year but the plan could not be put through.  

Bangladesh has gained rights to 118,813 square kilometres of territorial sea and 200 nautical miles of an exclusive economic zone by resolving disputes over maritime border with Myanmar and India.   

Around 68,000 vessels, both with and without engines, operate within 32,440 square kilometres off the coastline until it reaches the depth of 40 metres. This makes up the first level in fishing at sea.

The 241 vessels licensed by the government are allowed only up to the second and third levels.  

The second extends from 40 metres to 200 metres, where the third begins until it reaches the end of the exclusive economic zone.   

Experts have been warning the government against a threat of overfishing posed by fully-automated trawlers.