INDURKANI , PIROJPUR, Oct 11: Despite a 22-day government ban on catching Hilsa during the breeding season, fishermen in Indurkani Upazila of the district are openly netting the prized fish in the Kacha and Baleshwar rivers.
With the upazila fisheries officer reportedly staying in Dhaka, drives to enforce the ban have slowed down, allowing widespread illegal fishing to continue unchecked.
During a visit to the area on Friday afternoon, dozens of engine-run boats were seen fishing in the rivers surrounding the upazila. Both registered and unregistered fishermen were found catching mother Hilsa, ignoring the ongoing restrictions imposed to protect spawning fish.
Locals said that while the government distributes food aid among registered fishermen each year during the ban, many do not receive it, and the amount is often insufficient to meet family needs. As a result, some fishermen are compelled to take the risk of fishing illegally to support their households. "They go to the river under the cover of darkness, catch hilsa, and secretly sell them in local markets," said a resident.
On Wednesday night, a mobile team conducted a drive in Chandipur area and seized three fishing nets, two current nets, and six nets. However, the seized nets were not destroyed immediately; instead, they were kept in the custody of a trawler operator. Later, four of the nets reportedly went missing. The remaining nets were burned on Friday morning.
When contacted, Indurkani Upazila Fisheries Officer Fahad Rahman said, "I am currently in Dhaka and have been here for the past two days. I will be able to provide details after returning to the area."
The government has imposed a countrywide ban on catching, transporting, storing, and selling Hilsa from October 4 to 25 to protect the mother fish during the breeding season. The Department of Fisheries also cancelled all officers' leaves and directed them to remain present in their respective workplaces to ensure strict enforcement of the ban.
However, the directive seems to have been ignored in Indurkani, where the absence of proper monitoring has left rivers teeming with illegal fishing boats, undermining conservation efforts and threatening next season's hilsa stock.
