The government-imposed ban on catching, transporting, marketing and selling of hilsa fish comes to an end on Monday.
The ban was imposed from October 12 in 27 districts to boost hilsa output through protection of the mother fish during its peak breeding season.
Officials at the Fisheries Department, Bangladesh Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force, district and upazila administration, police, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) conducted drives to prevent hilsa fishing during the period.
Besides, executive magistrates conducted mobile courts and punished a good number of fishermen who violated the ban.
“Now we have to save Hilsa fry (under 10 inches). The authorities will impose a ban on catching Hilsa fry from November 1 to June 30 in coastal areas,” said Bagerhat district fisheries officer Zia Haider Chowdhury.
“If jatka (hilsa fry) can get the chance to get mature, around 550,000 tonnes of hisa could be netted next year,” the official added.
During a visit to the KB Bazar Ghat in Bagerhat on Saturday, journalists saw the fishermen preparing their trawlers and fishing nets to go to the Bay of Bengal to catch hilsa.
Trawlers were being towed to rivers from the dockyard. Fishing nets, fuel and daily essentials were being loaded in the trawlers. Thousands of fishermen are waiting to start their journeys to the sea, report agencies.
Sheikh Idris Sheikh, president of Bagerhat Coastal Fishermen Association, alleged Indian fishermen enter Bangladesh territory and catch fish during the restricted period.
Locals demanded government steps regarding the matter.
