Fishermen of the region are facing a struggle over fishing of Hilsa. They however are continuing fishing all over the southern region, ignoring the 11-day ban. The ban started here on October 13 this year. A total 178 fishermen were caught red-handed by the law enforcing at the time of fishing in different rivers of the region and were sent to jail for three months to one year in last six days during an 11-day ban imposed to save mother Hilsa. Barisal department of fisheries used a total 335 mobile court to conduct 482 drives during the time and visited 100 fish landing centers, 936 fishghat, 3087 fish wholesale centers and 1601 bazar of the region. The court with the coordination of coast guard and police seized 7 tonnes of Hilsa, 29 lakh meters of nets worth about Taka eight crore. The court filed 280 cases against the fishermen and recovered fined Tk six lakh. They also sized 26 fishing boat during the drives.
At to the time of visiting different rivers of southern region, this correspondent found that a large section of fishermen are continuing their fishing, managing the local police. Acknowledging the facts Bangladesh Khudra Matsajibi zilay shamity claimed a total 708 fishing trawlers were still netting Hilsa in the rivers at Swarankhola, Bagerhat, Patharghata, Parer Hat, Taltoli, Mohipur, Kolapara, charfession, Charmanika, Dawlatkhan, Komolnagar, Ramgati, Soboner char, Hatiya, Shreepur, Mehendigang area. Anwar Hosen Shikdar, chief coordinator of BKMZS said that during the Eid and Puja period police and administration did not do their duties to control the mother Hilsa fishing.
Anwar claimed that a section of fish traders convincing the local police continued fishing Hilsa from Eid night at Jhalakathi to Barguna, Mativanga of Patuakhali to Nishanbaria of Barguna, Tetulia of Bhola to Charbiswas, Charkazal, Golachipa of Patuakhali, Babugang of Barisal to Shrrepur, Sadar, Char Bisharkathi, Arial Kha, Kalabodor, Karkhana river, Megna face to Bheduria, Zia Nagar. Almost all the ice mills of the region are producting ice round o clocks. Collecting ice from here fishermen continuing fishing in the rivers.
It is also reported from coastal part that fishermen are still fishing in the river of Meghna, Padma, Arial Kha, Kirtonkhola, Tentulia, Andharmanik, Payera, Ramnabad and Agunmukha, Maskata, Sandhha, Sugandha, Paira, Biskhali, Tetulia, Kaacha and Baleshar rivers and its branches.
Fishermen said, facing the crisis of breads, about 25,000 of fishermen of the district are till catching fish including in different rivers openly ignoring the imposed ban on the catch and open sale of hilsa, which is rampant.
On the other hand, mass jailing of the fishermen created panic in different fishermen villages of the region. At the time of visit Chandromohon fishermen village under sadar upazila of the district have found that a large number of fishermen passing workless time sleeping here and there. Some of them are working in different Rabi fields as helper locally known as “Jogailla”.
Family members of the fishermen facing food crisis as their husbands were either workless or in jail. ‘We are not now living as fishermen, we have no own identity, we have lost our origin when we lost our own boats and nets facing the continues attacked of pirates before 18 years, said fishermen’.
They also said ‘We are now just day labor. We are forced to go to the river for fishing Hilsa at ban time following the order of Arathdar, trawler owners and traders,” they add.
‘When we were the fishermen, than we never catch Hilsa during the birding time, than we save mother Hilsa to save our future. But now facing the years of long poverty we have lost the right on Hilsa and are bound to follow the order of the Arathdar, trawler owners and traders, they said.
-With The Independent input
