Anisul Islam Noor :
The government has imposed a ban on catching, selling, hoarding and transportation of Hilsa for 22 days from Sunday (October 1) to protect hilsa breeding.
The ban covers 100 kilometres of river waters from Shatnal Upazila in Chandpur district to Char Alekjhander in Lakshmipur district.
There are also rules of punishment and fines for breaching the ban order, sources said.
According to a report by World Fish, Bangladesh is the leading country in Hilsa production with 65 per sent of all Hilsa, while India contributes with 10-15 per cent and Myanmar 8-10 per cent. The remaining Hilsa comes from other countries. The government started identifying breeding spots of Hilsa since 2002. The Fisheries Department initiated a project to conserve Jatka (Hilsa less than 10 inches long) in 2004. Initially, raising awareness and dissuading fishermen from catching Hilsa fry was the target.
The government slapped a ban on fishing Jatka and mother Hilsas in five breeding zones, including Chandpur, Lakkhipur, Barisal, Bhola, Patuakhali, Cox’s Bazar and Chittagong for eight months between November and June from the 2007-08 season.
Fisheries officials said the Hilsa traders, sellers, buyers and fishermen ultimately are being benefited due to the ban on Hilsa catching during the peak breeding season for last several years, increasing its production.
Among the 11 countries where Hilsa is found, Bangladesh is the only country where production of this silver fish is on the rise. Besides, Hilsa is contributing to meet the demand of protein in the country.
Md Shafiqur Rahman of Chandpur District Fisheries Department said that the period (October 1-22) is known as the peak breeding season of Hilsa.
According to the World Fish, Hilsa production is on the wane along the coasts of India and Myanmar, Bahrain and Kuwait’s Arabian Sea, the West Mid Pacific adjacent to Malaysia and Indonesia, Vietnam and Cambodia’s Mekong, as well as China and Thailand’s China Sea waters. Yet Hilsa production has been increasing at the rate of 8 pc to 10 pc every year in Bangladesh.
The government provided identity cards to around 224,000 Hilsa fishermen in a bid to give them a three-month access to social security during the ban period.
Research organisations think these measures to safeguard the fish have been very effective. Bangladesh has almost doubled its Hilsa production just in 12 years.
According to the Directorate of Fisheries, Bangladesh is likely catch around four tonnes of Hilsa this year.
India and Myanmar have already started following Bangladesh model to increase their Hilsa production.
Fish experts said Hilsa production can be maximised in adjacent areas of the Bay of Bengal. For this, India and Myanmar have to stop netting mother hilsas and jatkas along Bangladesh which will increase Hilsa in these areas.
Fish experts from Kuwait and Bahrain contacted with researchers of the Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute (BFRI) to understand Bangladeshi strategy to enhance Hilsa production. Following Bangladesh, both the countries have taken measures to identify Hilsa spawning spots and slap a ban on Hilsa catching during the time of spawning. Hilsa expert Sugata Hazra of the School of Oceanographic Studies at Jadavpur University in India said that the number of Hilsa is increasing in Bangladesh as the sweet water of Padma and Meghna rivers is still fine and Hilsas get enough food there.
Another reason that boosted Hilsa production in Bangladesh is the Jatka conservation project initiated in 2005 that imposed a ban on Hilsa fishing for its spawning period.
According to the international fish research organization World Fish, Hilsa is available along the coasts of India, Myanmar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Iran and also some other countries of the world. However, the fish selects the Ganges basin of Bangladesh for breeding.
Mother Hilsas gather in the rivers of the country to lay their eggs in monsoon. Hilsas are available from 1200 to 1300 kilometers upstream of the river and up to 250 kilometers away from the coast. The hilsa gets even tastier when they swim into the fresh water, washing away the salinity.
Pointing out that Hilsa contains Omega-3, Professor Abdul Wahab of the Fisheries Department of Bangladesh Agriculture University said this is a kind of oil which is used worldwide as a medicine for several ailment, including heart disease.
Only a number of fish has Omegs-3. Hilsa soup is sold at a high price in the US, New Zealand, and several European countries. Almost all the countries in the world, as a result want to increase Hilsa production. Bangladesh is leading the way.
Allegations are there that the Hilsa price is high despite good production. The price of Hilsa is quite stable over the last 4-5 years compared to other foods. Hilsa might have been restricted to rich people if production was not increased. The middle and the upper middle class can enjoy the fish too because of the increased production.
