Our Correspondent :
Some Eight maunds prawns (including lobsters and shrimps) caught by the dishonest fishermen defying the ban imposed on the catching fish (from Sundarbans) and a ferry boat were seized by the forest guards from Zongra area of the Pashur River within Chandpai Forest Range under the Eastern Division of Sundarbans in Bagerhat district in the early hours (at about 4 am) of Wednesday, according to a report received here.
Md. Enamul Haq, ACF (Assistant Conservator of Forest) of Chandpai Forest Range disclosed, June, July and August months are the breeding period of almost all kinds of fish in Sundarbans. So, ban was imposed by the forest department on the catching of fish in the interior of Sundarbans during the period. But with the instigation of a section of dishonest fish traders a number of (dishonest) fishermen are catching fish from Sundarbans during the period illegally in order to earn more profit. Acting on secret information a contingent of the forest guards raided the river Pashur near at Zongra area in the early hours of Wednesday and found a ferry boat carrying fish.
But getting the sense of the appearance of the forest guards some 3/4 fishermen boarded on the boat jumped from the boat and fled away into the deep forest. Later, the forest guards seized the boat and recovered 8 (eight) maunds shrimps and lobsters from the boat. The seized fish after mixed with kerosene oil was dumped into mud and the boat was destroyed.
