Fishers return to Kuakata after ban ends, disappointed with small hilsa catch as landing centres crowd

Fishers who went out to the Bay of Bengal near Kuakata in small trawlers at Thursday midnight, after the fishing ban ended, have started returning to the landing stations. On Friday morning (30 October) they returned with only a small amount of hilsa.

To allow hilsa to breed undisturbed, the government had imposed a ban on catching all kinds of fish, including hilsa, in the sea and rivers from 8 October to 29 October.

After the ban ended at Thursday midnight, trawlers set out one after another for the deep sea. The trawlers that went to the deep sea at night have not yet returned. But the fishers of the small 'khuta' trawlers that fished in the Bay near Kuakata have returned with only a little fish.

Sohel Mir, a fisher from the Jhaubagan area of Kuakata, said, 'I went to sea after 12 at night. After casting nets in the sea near Char Bijoy, I got a few hilsa. Since we obeyed the ban, we had hoped to return with a trawler full of hilsa. If we do not catch fish, we will be burdened with fresh loans and debts.'

These fishers allege that some trawlers which went to the deep sea a week earlier, evading the administration during the ban, returned to the landing stations at the same time with large quantities of hilsa.

On Friday morning, some hilsa-laden trawlers crowded the country's large landing ports of Mahipur and Alipur. It is alleged that the fishers of these trawlers went to sea illegally a week earlier, evading the administration, and fished there. Among them were also several illegal trawling trawlers.

With the return of these trawlers, the fish landing centres became lively with the calls of buyers and sellers. Not only hilsa, an abundance of other sea fish was also seen in the market. But the price of hilsa has not fallen.

At auction, hilsa weighing one kilogram is selling at 2,200 to 2,500 taka per kilogram. Hilsa of 700 to 900 grams is selling at 1,500 to 1,700 taka, hilsa of 500 to 600 grams at 800 to 1,000 taka, and jatka hilsa at 500 to 700 taka per kilogram. Those concerned have said prices may fall once all the deep-sea fishing trawlers return to shore.

Mainuddin, a fisher from Khajura village in Latachapli Union, said, 'Because repairs to our trawler were not finished, we could not go to sea at Thursday midnight. We will go to sea on Friday night. Those who obeyed the ban did not get fish. The khuta trawlers that went to sea on Thursday night returned almost empty-handed. And those who fished in the sea without obeying the ban returned with fish.'

Mainuddin also said, 'Not only trawlers from our country — Indian fishers also entered our country's waters during this ban period and fished. So I demand that the administration increase patrols at sea during the ban.'

Kalapara Senior Upazila Fisheries Officer Md Nurunnabi said, 'We conducted extensive drives to make the 22-day ban a success. Some unscrupulous fishers have been brought under the law. I hope all fishers will get fish. Those who can cast nets in the deep sea will get more fish.'