UNB, Dhaka :
Despite recording a marked progress in fish production, illegal fishing is continuously posing a threat to the country’s fish stock in both marine and inland waters.
According to official data, about 68,000 boats are currently fishing in coastal areas of Bangladesh. Of them, only 1,500 boats are licensed to catch fish. Besides, there are 247 commercial trawlers, which are fishing at deep sea following rules. Fishermen are using illegal means like monofilament synthetic nylon fiber nets (known as current jal) and behondi jal (one kind of net where all fish species are trapped), which largely contribute to destruction of fisheries resources in marine areas. Current jal is also being used rampantly to catch fish in inland waters, posing a threat to freshwater fish stocks. That is despite the Fish Act of Bangladesh 1983 stating that nobody is allowed to use synthetic nylon fiber nets in fishing and damage
water-bodies. Director General of the Department of Fisheries Syed Arif Azad said the law could not be enforced properly for lack of manpower in the department, but it has been working sincerely to check illegal fishing in the country.
Asked about how much fish are being caught illegally in the country each year, he said the fisheries department has no available data in this regard. “But there is no doubt that if current net use could be stopped in fishing, fish production will increase many fold,” Azad added. The Fisheries Department’s data reveals that about 90 metric tonnes of jatka (a single species that is caught illegally) were seized in five months (during November 2015 to March 2016). On April 21, 2016, members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) also seized more than 150 tonnes of jatka (hilsa fry) from a fishing trawler in Chittagong, and another 50 tonnes of jatka on April 19 this year.
The country’s fish production went up to 36.84 lakh metric tonnes in 2014-15 fiscal, from 27.1 lakh metric tonnes in 2008-09 fiscal, with 6.23 percent annual growth on average over the last five years. But most fish are coming from aquaculture as the natural water-bodies and fish stock are being destroyed due to illegal fishing, forcing many fish species to be extinct. According to fisheries experts, indiscriminate use of current net in fishing is contributing to the rapid destruction of natural fish stocks in the country since no single species of fish can survive during the use of current nets in fishing.
ABM Zahid Habib, a senior fisheries officer of the Fisheries Department, said about 70 percent of fish in open water-bodies is currently being caught using current nets. “As these synthetic fiber nets are not costly, the poor fishermen use it to catch fish in rivers and other water-bodies,” he added.
About the illegal fishing in sea, marine and fisheries professor of Chittagong University Dr Md Maruf Hossain said about 90 percent of marine fish are being harvested within 10-15 kilometers distance from the shore in the country’s coastal area. He said over-harvesting of marine fish in coastal areas by using current nets is significantly contributing to destruction of fish in coastal areas.
Citing his study findings, Maruf said many commercial valuable sea fish species – like tuna, rupchanda, kural, vetki and durabailla – have already disappeared from the coastal areas of Bangladesh due to illegal fishing.
He observed that there are problems in the government’s policy as the authorities concerned have given approval to a huge number of fishing boats to catch fish in coastal areas. But, the fisheries officials claimed they are conducting drives regularly to check illegal in the coastal areas.
“We destroyed behondi jal worth Tk 12 crore in separate drives in last three months,” Azad said.
Chief fisheries extension officer Krishnendu Saha said the Fisheries Department seized 46 lakh metres of current nets, penalised fishermen Tk 10 lakh and sent 168 fishermen to jail during November 2015 to March 2016 for their involvement in illegal fishing.
He said, if the fishermen are not aware of the illegal consequences of their fishing, it will be a hard task to protect fisheries resource from destruction.
Despite recording a marked progress in fish production, illegal fishing is continuously posing a threat to the country’s fish stock in both marine and inland waters.
According to official data, about 68,000 boats are currently fishing in coastal areas of Bangladesh. Of them, only 1,500 boats are licensed to catch fish. Besides, there are 247 commercial trawlers, which are fishing at deep sea following rules. Fishermen are using illegal means like monofilament synthetic nylon fiber nets (known as current jal) and behondi jal (one kind of net where all fish species are trapped), which largely contribute to destruction of fisheries resources in marine areas. Current jal is also being used rampantly to catch fish in inland waters, posing a threat to freshwater fish stocks. That is despite the Fish Act of Bangladesh 1983 stating that nobody is allowed to use synthetic nylon fiber nets in fishing and damage
water-bodies. Director General of the Department of Fisheries Syed Arif Azad said the law could not be enforced properly for lack of manpower in the department, but it has been working sincerely to check illegal fishing in the country.
Asked about how much fish are being caught illegally in the country each year, he said the fisheries department has no available data in this regard. “But there is no doubt that if current net use could be stopped in fishing, fish production will increase many fold,” Azad added. The Fisheries Department’s data reveals that about 90 metric tonnes of jatka (a single species that is caught illegally) were seized in five months (during November 2015 to March 2016). On April 21, 2016, members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) also seized more than 150 tonnes of jatka (hilsa fry) from a fishing trawler in Chittagong, and another 50 tonnes of jatka on April 19 this year.
The country’s fish production went up to 36.84 lakh metric tonnes in 2014-15 fiscal, from 27.1 lakh metric tonnes in 2008-09 fiscal, with 6.23 percent annual growth on average over the last five years. But most fish are coming from aquaculture as the natural water-bodies and fish stock are being destroyed due to illegal fishing, forcing many fish species to be extinct. According to fisheries experts, indiscriminate use of current net in fishing is contributing to the rapid destruction of natural fish stocks in the country since no single species of fish can survive during the use of current nets in fishing.
ABM Zahid Habib, a senior fisheries officer of the Fisheries Department, said about 70 percent of fish in open water-bodies is currently being caught using current nets. “As these synthetic fiber nets are not costly, the poor fishermen use it to catch fish in rivers and other water-bodies,” he added.
About the illegal fishing in sea, marine and fisheries professor of Chittagong University Dr Md Maruf Hossain said about 90 percent of marine fish are being harvested within 10-15 kilometers distance from the shore in the country’s coastal area. He said over-harvesting of marine fish in coastal areas by using current nets is significantly contributing to destruction of fish in coastal areas.
Citing his study findings, Maruf said many commercial valuable sea fish species – like tuna, rupchanda, kural, vetki and durabailla – have already disappeared from the coastal areas of Bangladesh due to illegal fishing.
He observed that there are problems in the government’s policy as the authorities concerned have given approval to a huge number of fishing boats to catch fish in coastal areas. But, the fisheries officials claimed they are conducting drives regularly to check illegal in the coastal areas.
“We destroyed behondi jal worth Tk 12 crore in separate drives in last three months,” Azad said.
Chief fisheries extension officer Krishnendu Saha said the Fisheries Department seized 46 lakh metres of current nets, penalised fishermen Tk 10 lakh and sent 168 fishermen to jail during November 2015 to March 2016 for their involvement in illegal fishing.
He said, if the fishermen are not aware of the illegal consequences of their fishing, it will be a hard task to protect fisheries resource from destruction.
