Fishermen receive VGF support amid mother Hilsa fishing ban
The Department of Fisheries is conducting the 'Maa Hilsa Conservation Campaign 2025' nationwide to ensure the protection and sustainable harvesting of mother hilsa during the main breeding season.
The twenty-two-day campaign, running from 4 to 25 October 2025, covers 178 upazilas in thirty-eight districts, including coastal rivers, estuaries and marine zones. Extensive drives are being carried out in coordination with local administrations, law enforcement agencies and the Department of Fisheries. The operations include mobile courts, seizure of banned nets and fish, and the imposition of fines and legal actions.
As of 16 October 2025, a total of 1,301 cases have been filed through 5,085 drives and 1,175 mobile courts. A total of 1,047 people were sentenced to various jail terms and fined Tk 42.43 lakh for violating conservation laws. Authorities also seized 428.47 lakh metres of illegal nets and 57.1 metric tonnes of hilsa, which were distributed among orphanages. The confiscated nets were destroyed and Tk 31.128 lakh was deposited in the government treasury from auctioned boats and equipment.
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To support affected fishers during the fishing ban, the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock has allocated 15,503 metric tonnes of VGF rice, providing twenty-five kilogrammes each to 620,140 fishers in 165 upazilas of thirty-eight districts. Of this, 15,400.85 metric tonnes (99.34%) have already been distributed.
During operations in Mehendiganj, Hijla and Bhedarganj upazilas, nine officials—including an assistant commissioner (land), two Fisheries Department officers, a naval police sub-inspector and three constables—were injured.
Under the 'In Aid to Civil Power' initiative, the army, navy and air force are supporting the campaign. Joint operations have been carried out in Chattogram, Companiganj, Raipur, Hijla, Shibchar and Srinagar. The navy's warships and maritime patrol aircraft are providing twenty-four-hour surveillance to prevent illegal fishing and foreign intrusion into deep-sea areas, while Bangladesh Air Force helicopters have conducted three aerial patrols over hilsa-rich rivers.
The Maa Hilsa Conservation Operation-2025 will continue until 25 October 2025.
