The fishermen across the country start heading back to rivers and the sea for fishing ilish as the 22-day nationwide ban on its catching, transporting, and selling ends last midnight.
With the ban lifting at midnight, trawlers sailed early Sunday, marking the resumption of ilish fishing across the country’s coastal waters and major rivers.
The annual ban, which began on October 4 and continued till Saturday midnight, was imposed by the government to ensure safe spawning of ilish during the peak breeding season for boosting fish production in the country.
The Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, along with law enforcement agencies, carried out extensive drives across coastal districts to ensure compliance with the restriction.
Officials from the Department of Fisheries said the embargo helped protect millions of mother ilish, contributing to smooth growing of the country’s most popular fish.
“Strict monitoring was maintained across all major ilish breeding zones, including Chandpur, Bhola, Barishal, Patuakhali, Barguna, and Laxmipur,” a senior fisheries officer told BSS.
“We expect a significant boost in ilish production in the upcoming season as a result of the ban,” he said.
During the restriction period, around 65,000 enforcement drives were conducted and several hundred illegal fishing nets were seized and destroyed, officials said.
The government also distributed food assistance among registered fishermen’s families affected by the temporary suspension of fishing activities.
Ilish, recognized as the national fish of Bangladesh, contributes nearly 12% to the country’s total fish production and plays a vital role in the livelihoods of millions of coastal fishermen.
