Illegal fishing spree with banned nets in Tentulia, Lohalia

Many fishermen of Patuakhali and Bhola districts are fishing freely in Tentulia and Lohalia rivers with banned nets exposing fish species to extinction.

According to local sources, fishes are being netted with banned behundi and barricaded nets at various points of the Tentulia and Lohalia rivers of Bauphal. Hundreds of meters-long net is set with floating drums in the river along the banks.

When the water comes down during the ebb, the fishes are trapped in the fence net along with the big fish as well as numerous fish fries and eggs.

According to experts, some species of fish might be extinct if action is not taken soon.

During an on-spot visit, this correspondent found that the prohibited behundi and barricaded nets are being used in many spots of Tentulia and Lohalia rivers in Bauphal upazila of Patuakhali.

Several hundred metres long barricaded nets have been placed along the shores and on shoals. When the water recedes during low tide fishes get trapped in the tightly knit nets.

Behundi nets, however, are laid crosswise in deep water. Alongside large fish, a huge amount of hard roe gets caught in these nets and are destroyed.

Illegal fishing is going on with these nets in Tentulia river at Charbaret, Mominpur, Dhulia, Nimdi, Charwadel points of Bauphal upazila, Bhola's Sachra union of Borhanuddin upazila, and Nazirpur point of Lalmohan upazila. There is a similar situation in Jhilna and Baherchar points of Lohalia river.

According to the government regulations, fishing in the river is to be carried out with a 4.5 cm mesh net. But the barrier nets are too tight knit like mosquito nets and fish fry are unable to escape it.

Experts believe these nets pose a threat to the local riverine ecosystem by obstructing fish reproduction.

According to the locals, a syndicate of influential traders are behind this. Many of these traders have profited millions from this illegal business.

More than 300 fishermen have recently protested against illegal fishing across the Tentulia River in the Charbaret area of Bauphal's Chandradvip Union.

The fishermen who took part in the protest said many people from Sachra union partake in fishing with barrier nets. They demanded that the government take necessary steps to put a stop to illegal fishing immediately.

After a 22-day fishing ban for hilsa breeding season, the rivers are now full of hilsa fry locally known as "chapila". Like previous years, this unscrupulous syndicate of traders have started to poach the young breeds with illegal nets.

Bauphal Upazila Fisheries Officer Mahbub Alam Talukder said the use of lift and barrier nets disrupts the natural breeding process of various fish species.

"Our office conducts search drives for illegal nets and destroys them after recovery. The RAB and Coast Guard should also conduct search drives for illegal nets," he said, adding that the government should allocate a larger budget and modern equipment to conduct the drives.

Bhola District Fisheries Officer Molla Emdadullah said the fisheries department conducts regular drives to prevent the use of illegal nets in the rivers.

"We do not have even one-third of the manpower needed to control the vast riverine areas of the district. I expect that eliminating the shortage of manpower and having sufficient budget to conduct the searches will help us in this regard," he said.