60-day ban on hilsa fishing begins today

The government has imposed a two-month ban on fishing in five hilsa sanctuaries aiming to boost its production.

The ban imposed to conserve Jatka (hilsa fry) began on Tuesday and will end on April 30, the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock said in a press release on Monday.

The ban will cover 392km of sanctuaries in the Padma, Meghna and Tetulia rivers flowing into Barishal, Chandpur, Lakshmipur, Bhola, Shariatpur, and Patuakhali districts.

According to the release, catching all kinds of fish, including hilsa, in the sanctuaries will be a punishable offence during the period.

Violators will be punished with a minimum of one year to a maximum of two years rigorous imprisonment or a fine of up to Tk 5,000, or both, it said.

Meanwhile, the ministry has allocated 80kg of rice for each family of the registered fishermen under the Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGF) programme.