Hundreds of Patharghata trawlers sail at midnight as 22-day ban ends, fishers head to sea hoping for hilsa

As soon as the 22-day ban ended, hundreds of trawlers left the ghats of Patharghata in Barguna for the sea shortly after midnight on Thursday night (29 October). After a long wait, coastal fishers have set out to fish with fresh hopes.

To ensure the undisturbed breeding of the national fish hilsa, the government had imposed a 22-day ban from 8 to 29 October on catching, transporting, selling, stocking and marketing all kinds of fish, including hilsa, across the country. The decision was taken considering the hilsa breeding season and the full moon of Ashwin.

After 22 days without work, the fishers are visibly energised at being able to return to the sea. They have set sail expecting a plentiful hilsa catch this time.

The fishers said they are delighted to go to sea after a long break. They set out after loading their trawlers with nets, ice, fuel oil, food and all other fishing essentials. They hope to find good hilsa movement in the sea and return to the ghat with trawlers full of fish.

Patharghata fishers Alamgir Majhi, Selim Nazir, Alam Fitter, Zakir Majhi and Kalam Khan said they had returned from the sea the day before the ban began. After spending time with their families, they prepared to go out again. Loading ice, fuel oil, food and everything needed onto the trawlers, they set off for the sea at night, hoping for a big hilsa catch this time.

Masum Akon, general secretary of the Barguna District Fishermen Trawler Owners Association, said the fishers completed all preparations during the ban, including repairing nets and trawlers. As soon as the ban ended, hundreds of fishing trawlers left the coastal ghats for the sea shortly after midnight on Thursday night.

However, Masum Akon said there is some concern among fishers about the weather, as rain has been forecast in the coastal area. The fishers are keeping an eye on the latest weather situation so they can fish safely. After the long wait, everyone now hopes to return to the ghat safely with nets full of hilsa.

The association president, Golam Mostafa Chowdhury, said that like previous years, Barguna fishers properly followed the government directives this time too. No fisher was seen casting nets in the river or sea during the ban. In his view, the government has largely succeeded in ensuring hilsa breeding.

Golam Mostafa Chowdhury added that the main goal now should be protecting jatka, the juvenile hilsa. If jatka can be conserved, hilsa production will increase several-fold in the coming years, they hope.

Patharghata upazila senior fisheries officer Hasibul Haque said that although dishonest fishers were reported catching hilsa in various parts of the country during the ban, Patharghata was an exception. No fisher here cast nets in the river or sea during the prohibited period. He said this year's ban succeeded thanks to the sincere cooperation of people at all levels, including fishers and moneylenders.

Meanwhile, amid the preparations to go to sea after the ban, a fisher named Delowar Hossain (50) died of electrocution at Patharghata at around 10:30am on Thursday while washing a trawler. Another fisher, Bachchu (50), was injured in the incident.

With the sea rough under the influence of Cyclone Arnab, there is also uncertainty over whether the fishers will be able to venture into the deep sea on the very first day after the ban.