Barishal Correspondent :
A 65-day ban on all types of fishing in the sea has been started from early Monday. The ban, from May 20 to July 23, aims to protect proper reproduction, production and preservation of marine resources.
The government of Bangladesh has been imposing this ban on fishing in the sea for 65 days since 2019 in order to increase the fishery resources in the marine boundary of the country.
Fishermen demanded that the government should ensure sufficient compensation, rehabilitation and stop infiltration of fishermen from neighboring countries in Bangladesh marine boundary during this period.
Nripendranath Baroi, Barishal divisional fisheries officer said, more than three lakhs fishing community families from 14 coastal districts has been listed for the government support this year. A fishing community family will get a total of 86 kilogrammes of rice during the ban period, he said.
Local fisheries officials said that about 49,000 fishing community people were registered in Patuakhali district 27, 277 in Barguna and about 2 lakhs in coastal Bhola district out of the 14 coastal districtsof the country.
Apu Saha, senior upazila fisheries officer of coastal Kalapara upazila of Patuakhali, said that they would inform the higher authorities about the demands of the community people.
Barguna district fisheries officer Muhammad Muhsin, said that during the ban period all types of fish collection, transportation and storage were prohibited in the country’s marine waters.
Golam Mostafa Chowdhury, president of Fishermen’s Trawler Owners’ Association, said that about 1,50,000 people along the Barguna coast were engaged in the fishing profession, but the list made by the government included only some 37 thousand people.
On other hand the fishermen said the ban would put a further financial strain on them and the Indian fishing community people would infiltrate into Bangladesh marine boundary and collect wealth without any oppose.
So they demanded to prevent infiltrations of Indian fishing community people into Bangladesh marine boundary and giving sufficient aid for affected fishermen. Apu Saha, senior upazila fisheries officer of Kalapara upazila of Patuakhali, said that they would inform the higher authorities about the demands of the community people.
Rahman Majhi, a fishing community person of Alipur fishing port under coatal Kalapara upazila, said, ‘During the blockade on Bangladesh marine waters, fishing community people from neighbouring countries including India and Mayamar infiltrate crossing our marine borders without any obstacles and loot our fishing wealth.’