FISH catches are considered illegal when fishing is non-seasonal, unlicensed, immature fish is caught, prohibited nets are used, or when it occurs during their breeding period. Illegal catching of fishes is going on unabated, resulting in serious threats to the country’s fish stock in both marine and inland waters, reported media outlets on Monday. It also leads the country to suffer staggering losses each year due to its failure to stop rampant illegal fishing in its waters by fishermen.
Fish is considered a major source of proteins to the people of Bangladesh. But this source of proteins to the country’s people is being constrained due to illegal fishing. Illegal fishing also causes economic losses to the country. Bangladeshi fishes have huge demand abroad. So, fishermen’s greediness cannot be allowed to continue to push the economy into a situation where there is loss of revenue. The authority concerned is noticeably responsible for this irregularity as it is known to them that about 68,000 boats are currently fishing in coastal areas. Of them, only 1,500 boats are licensed and the rests are operating unauthorisedly.
This discrepancy illustrates fishing authorities’ carelessness that usually instigates the fishermen to adopt the unfair means. Besides, a large number of fishermen are using illegal monofilament synthetic nylon fiber nets (known as current jal) and behondi jal (one kind of net where all fish species are trapped) and about 90 percent of marine fishes are harvested within 10-15 kilometers distance from the shore in the country’s coastal area. The Fish Act of Bangladesh 1983 states that nobody is allowed to use synthetic nylon fiber nets in fishing and damage water-bodies. Tragically, the mother-fishes are not also spared even during the breeding time of the year. The safe-zone for breeding is reducing each year. But this law is not being enforced properly for the lack of manpower as concerned officials claim. So, it is in dire need to increase manpower to monitor the fishing situation of the country.
About 70 percent of fish in open water-bodies is currently being caught using current nets, whereas authority claims that we are working sincerely to check illegal fishing in the country – it is totally undesirable. Together with the illegal fishing of natives, the acts are further intensified while the foreigners regularly intrude into Bangladesh waters and flee with huge catches of fish. It adversely affects the national economy and livelihood of country’s fishermen.
Experts said that indiscriminate use of current nets 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. In this regard, mass awareness is imperative to tackle this crisis. The government also should take stern actions to keep the country’s fish stock stable and stop illegal fishing by greedy fish traders.
