Protest escalates against government ban on deep-sea fishing

Fish traders and trawler owners have joined hands with the fishermen who are protesting against the government's decision to ban deep-sea fishing for 65 days.

Mitoon Chowdhurybdnews24.com
Published : 12 June 2019, 05:14 PM
Updated : 12 June 2019, 05:14 PM

The Uttar Chattala Jaldas Samabay Federation, an organisation of fishermen, blockaded the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway on Sunday—three weeks after the ban went into effect.

The ban has put their livelihood at risk as they cannot catch hilsa during the season, according to the protesters.

Now fish traders’ association Sonali Jantrik Matsya Shilpo Samobay Samiti and Sea Fishing Boat Owners’ Association have joined the protests.

The fish traders’ association General Secretary Aminul Islam Babul Sarker and boat owners’ association President Noor Hossain told bdnews24.com on Wednesday that held two rounds of meeting with administration but no-one paid any heed to their tales of sufferings.

“The bureaucrats had been misinformed before they slapped the ban. It must be lifted,” Aminul said.   

Noor agreed it was breeding period for sea fishes, but not hilsa.

“The demand for hilsa caught in this period is always high, but we are sitting idle with our boats,” he said.

The government bans fishing every year in the Bay of Bengal for 65 days from May 20 to July 13 to preserve fish stock and ensure proper breeding.

The hilsa catching season lasts usually from May to September at the sea and coastal areas, fishermen, traders and vessel owners say.

“We can’t go to the deep sea. We catch fish along the coastal belts. Hilsa catching remains suspended for 22 days (from Oct 12 to Nov 13) during the breeding season. This is Okay. We sustain ourselves on the earnings from five months beginning in May, which is the time for catching hilsa fish,” said Upendra Jaldas, the vice president of Uttar Chattrala Upakuliy Jaldas Samabay Kalyan Samity.

“When will we catch the hilsa if the 65-day ban falls during this period?” he asked.

All types of vessel also came under the ban this year, bringing trouble for the boatmen and owners.

There are about 10,000 fishing trawlers in Chattogram, Cox's Bazar, Banshkhali and Kutubdia areas. About 21 to 50 people are engaged in every boat. And 53,000 families are involved with the fishing profession.

"Only two persons earn in our 10-member family. How will the family survive?” Fisharighat boatman Helal Uddin told bdnews24.com.

He argued they do not catch hilsa fry. “The net we use are for catching big fishes. If we don’t catch hilsa now, there will be no food for us the whole year,” he said.