183 fishermen jailed during 22-day hilsa fishing ban

A total of 646 fishermen were detained in Chandpur for catching hilsa in violation of the 22-day fishing ban imposed to protect the breeding of mother hilsa in the Padma and Meghna rivers.

Of them, 183 fishermen detained during operations by district and upazila task forces were sentenced to different terms of imprisonment and fined. Meanwhile, the naval police detained 463 fishermen, including 120 minors who were released into their guardians' custody after signing undertakings. The remaining 343 face regular cases.

The information was disclosed in reports and statements issued by the district fisheries officer's office and Chandpur Naval Police Station on Friday morning.

According to the district fisheries office, the government imposed a ban on catching, buying, selling, storing and transporting hilsa and other fish in a 70-kilometre stretch of the Padma-Meghna river system, from Shatnol in Matlab Uttar upazila to Char Bhairabi in Haimchar, from midnight on October 8 to midnight on October 29.

During the ban, district and upazila task forces conducted 238 drives against illegal fishing. The 183 detained fishermen were sentenced to different terms of imprisonment and fined through 72 mobile courts. A total of Tk 396,200 was collected in fines.

District Fisheries Officer Md Fakhrul Islam said authorities seized 2.753 tonnes of hilsa and 1,201,099 metres of fishing nets during the operations. The confiscated prohibited nets were estimated to be worth Tk 2.718 crore.

A total of 161 cases were filed in connection with the operations. The seized nets were destroyed by burning, while the confiscated hilsa was distributed among local underprivileged people, madrasas and orphanages in accordance with regulations.

Separately, Chandpur Naval Police detained 463 fishermen during its operations. Of them, 120 minors were released into their guardians' custody after signing undertakings, while cases were filed against the remaining 343.

The naval police also filed a total of 132 cases, including two over attacks on police personnel.

Chandpur Naval Police Station Officer-in-Charge Azamgir Hossain said 3,090,585 metres of current nets seized during the operations had been preserved as evidence before being destroyed by burning. Authorities also seized 77 fishing boats.

He added that 1.320 tonnes of recovered hilsa had been distributed among local underprivileged people, madrasas and orphanages.

After the ban ended at midnight on Thursday, around 44,000 registered fishermen in the district returned to the Padma and Meghna rivers to catch hilsa and other fish.

sks