No Hilsa found at Payra River in Barguna

AMTALI, BARGUNA, Oct 10: This full season there is no Hilsa in the Payra (Burishwar) River in Amtali Upazila of the district.
Fishing families are passing days in hardship.

From mid-May to October is the full season for Hilsa. Hilsas appear in the river for laying eggs during the ban time in October. Hilsa fry grow 3 to 3.5 inches from January to February.

At that time, fishers catch small Hilsas by Badha net or Berh Jaal. From November to May, some unscrupulous fishers catch Chapila (mainly Hilsa fry) by nets of small meshes. Due to this the river has been Hilsa free this season.

The Hilsa disappearance has also been amid climate change.

A fisher of Joyaldanga Village in Taltali Upazila along the river Shah Suman said, "I would get 15 to 25 kilograms of Hilsas during every season in the past. This time Hilsas are not available in the river."

"I got some Jhatkas and medium-sized Hilsas in the last week. I sold these at Tk 7,000," he added.

Jaber Maji of Boithakata Village in Amtali Upazila said, "I didn't get any Hilsa except few Jhatkas in the last week. I am facing hardship with my family members."

Fisher Rubel of Gulishakhali Naiyapara said, after anchoring their fishing boats, many are running auto-rickshaw or working in fields as labourers.

When contacted, Dr Sajedul Haq, head of Fisheries Technology Department at Science and Technology University, said, "Along with the climate change we are also partly responsible for the Hilsa disappearance. In implementing Hilsa catching ban, we will have to be more rigid. It needs to stop small mesh nets totally. Fishers need to be made more aware."

Less Hilsa availability in the river was confirmed by Upazila Senior Fisheries Officer  Halima Sardar. She said, it was not raining in June-July. The shortage of rain water has delayed the Hilsa breeding time, she added.

She further said, eggs of sea Hilsas are now becoming mature. If flocks of Hilsas having matured eggs arrive in the river, the current crisis will go, the official maintained.