Prof. ABM. Mosharraf Husain, Bagerhat :
Huge quantity of ‘Jatkas’ are being destroyed by trawling ships in the Bay of Bengal, it is alleged .
It is stated that hilsa is now being caught indiscriminately with the help of machines installed in trawling ships from the sea and after sorting them hundred of tones of Jatkas below 6 inches are being thrown into the sea and rivers of Sundarban forest.
Sometimes Jatkas (below 6 inches) are supplied to the (near by) trawlers in exchange of rice, pulses and other daily necessities. As a result, all sorts of efforts taken by the Government to boost up the production of our national fish hilsa may be foiled.
It is learnt from the fishermen and fish traders returned from the sea that more than 2 hundred modernized trawling ships of Chittagong region and 5/6 of Khulna area are now catching fish of different species, mainly hilsa of very small sized to normal sized indiscriminately from the sea with machines. The fishing nets are now being used by those trawling ships to catch fish are with extremely small loops. As a result, various sea fishes of very small sized are being caught along with normal sized fishes. Consequently, huge quantities of small sized fishes, mainly Jatakas are being destroyed daily.
Mujibar Raman Talukdar, General Secretary , Owners’ Association of Fishing Trawlers of Sharankhola Upazila and Delwar Hossain Faraji, President of the Owners’ Association of fish depots of Sharankhola disclosed, hundreds of tones of Jatkas (below 6 inches) are being thrown into the sea after they are caught by the trawling ships at every ‘Gon’ (high time) at least once in a week. For want of spaces fishes of standard sizes and above are preserved in the trawling ships and below standard sized fishes are left in the sea. In the last week a number of fishing trawlers after loading Jatkas from trawling ships in the sea reached Sharankhola for sale. In return of Jatkas some food staff was given to the trawling ships. A fishing trawler named FB. Saiful Islam belonging to one Zakir Hossain of village Rajair under Sharankhola Upazila (in Bagerhat district) and a fishing trawler named FB. Mayer Doa belonging to one Selim Mia of Saynasi area under Morrelganj Upazila (in the same district) were among those trawlers. They further told, the Government is taking steps one after another to boost up the production of hilsa in the country. In this connection catching of hilsa was banned from the rivers and sea for 22 days in the month of October was a very successful step. As a result, hilsa increased in the sea and it is being caught abundantly in the nets of the fishermen.
This is a blessing for both fishermen and fish traders and as well as for the country. But all those best efforts of the government for boosting up the production of hilsa will be baffled if the Jatka is being destroyed in such a way by trawling ships.
Dulal Hossain, General Secretary of Barguna District Labour’s Association of fishing trawlers told, ban was imposed on catching of hilsa below10 inches from November 01 to July 30. But more than 2 hundred trawling ships of Chittagang region and 5/6 trawling ships of Khulna area declared almost a silent war against the Govt. order and they are trying to frustrate the appreciable efforts taken by the government to increase the production of hilsa in the country. A fishing trawler belonging to Tipu Alam of Patharghata and at least 10 fishing trawlers of Mahipur were laden with approximate 100 mounds jatkas below 4/5 inches in length from the trawling ships and returned to Patharghata for sale. Abdul Mannan, President of the organization apprehended, if the fishery department, Bangladesh Navy and coastguards do not take necessary steps immediately the effort taken by the Government to boost up the production of the national fish hilsa in the sea will be totally foiled.
Huge quantity of ‘Jatkas’ are being destroyed by trawling ships in the Bay of Bengal, it is alleged .
It is stated that hilsa is now being caught indiscriminately with the help of machines installed in trawling ships from the sea and after sorting them hundred of tones of Jatkas below 6 inches are being thrown into the sea and rivers of Sundarban forest.
Sometimes Jatkas (below 6 inches) are supplied to the (near by) trawlers in exchange of rice, pulses and other daily necessities. As a result, all sorts of efforts taken by the Government to boost up the production of our national fish hilsa may be foiled.
It is learnt from the fishermen and fish traders returned from the sea that more than 2 hundred modernized trawling ships of Chittagong region and 5/6 of Khulna area are now catching fish of different species, mainly hilsa of very small sized to normal sized indiscriminately from the sea with machines. The fishing nets are now being used by those trawling ships to catch fish are with extremely small loops. As a result, various sea fishes of very small sized are being caught along with normal sized fishes. Consequently, huge quantities of small sized fishes, mainly Jatakas are being destroyed daily.
Mujibar Raman Talukdar, General Secretary , Owners’ Association of Fishing Trawlers of Sharankhola Upazila and Delwar Hossain Faraji, President of the Owners’ Association of fish depots of Sharankhola disclosed, hundreds of tones of Jatkas (below 6 inches) are being thrown into the sea after they are caught by the trawling ships at every ‘Gon’ (high time) at least once in a week. For want of spaces fishes of standard sizes and above are preserved in the trawling ships and below standard sized fishes are left in the sea. In the last week a number of fishing trawlers after loading Jatkas from trawling ships in the sea reached Sharankhola for sale. In return of Jatkas some food staff was given to the trawling ships. A fishing trawler named FB. Saiful Islam belonging to one Zakir Hossain of village Rajair under Sharankhola Upazila (in Bagerhat district) and a fishing trawler named FB. Mayer Doa belonging to one Selim Mia of Saynasi area under Morrelganj Upazila (in the same district) were among those trawlers. They further told, the Government is taking steps one after another to boost up the production of hilsa in the country. In this connection catching of hilsa was banned from the rivers and sea for 22 days in the month of October was a very successful step. As a result, hilsa increased in the sea and it is being caught abundantly in the nets of the fishermen.
This is a blessing for both fishermen and fish traders and as well as for the country. But all those best efforts of the government for boosting up the production of hilsa will be baffled if the Jatka is being destroyed in such a way by trawling ships.
Dulal Hossain, General Secretary of Barguna District Labour’s Association of fishing trawlers told, ban was imposed on catching of hilsa below10 inches from November 01 to July 30. But more than 2 hundred trawling ships of Chittagang region and 5/6 trawling ships of Khulna area declared almost a silent war against the Govt. order and they are trying to frustrate the appreciable efforts taken by the government to increase the production of hilsa in the country. A fishing trawler belonging to Tipu Alam of Patharghata and at least 10 fishing trawlers of Mahipur were laden with approximate 100 mounds jatkas below 4/5 inches in length from the trawling ships and returned to Patharghata for sale. Abdul Mannan, President of the organization apprehended, if the fishery department, Bangladesh Navy and coastguards do not take necessary steps immediately the effort taken by the Government to boost up the production of the national fish hilsa in the sea will be totally foiled.
