Large quantity of hilsa netted after 22-day ban
Fishermen in Barishal and Noakhali districts have started to reap the benefits of a 22-day fishing ban that was lifted on Friday midnight.
More than one lakh fishermen in Noakhali's Hatia upazila and Barishal sailed on the sea and brought in a huge quantity of hilsa to the market, cheering trawler owners, traders and fishermen.
Fishermen are happy as their fish is sold at a good price and hoped to catch plenty of hilsa this season.
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Men who left with their nets and trawlers in the morning were seen returning to the shore after getting a good catch. They are also catching other varieties of saltwater fish.
The 22-day ban started on 6 October midnight in accordance with the government's announcement to support the mother hilsa conservation campaign during the breeding season.
Md Asharul Islam, Marine Fisheries official of Hatia upazila, said: "Fishermen left for the sea from different points on trawlers. They are getting good quantities of fish and are happy with the catch."
Belal, a fisherman in Barishal, said, "We started catching fish after Friday midnight and we are happy with the catch,"
Around 300 maund hilsa fish arrived in the Port Road fish market in Barishal. Each hilsa fish were selling for Tk1000 to 1250 based on its size, said Tara Mia, a wholesale buyer of the market.
Hatia fisherman Nittya Haran Das said, "We, 17 fishermen sailed on the sea at midnight and returned with more than three maund of hilsa fish before dawn. Most of the fish weigh between 800 to 900 grams. Each maund of fish were sold at Tk8000 to 10000 in the wholesale market,"
Wholesale buyer of Noakhali's Banglabazar Ghat, Md Shahjahan said, "More than 50 trawlers loaded with hilsa fish returned to the shore in the morning. Each trawler catches more than five maund fish."
During the ban period, government assistance was given to about 11,100 card holders out of more than 1 lakh fishermen who live on the island. Local fishermen are benefiting from complying with the government restrictions during the breeding season.
