437 kgs Hilsa seized , 25 fishermen jailed in Barisal Divn

Barisal Correspondent :
A total of 437 kg Hilsa and 4.94 lakh metre nets were seized and 25 fishermen jailed in Barisal division on Wednesday, first day of anti-fishing drive to save mother hilsa.
Bazlur Rashid, Deputy Director Fishing Directorate and Barisal Divisional Fishery officer , the directorate with the help from local administration and law enforcing agencies started drives against netting fish in rivers from early Wednesday to execute an 22-day fishing ban for facilitating safe spawning of mother hilsa fish.
On Wednesday, the first day of the 22-day ban, operating 59 anti-fishing drives in different districts of Barisal division, fishery directorate operating 37 mobile courts seized 437 kg. Hilsa and 4.94 lakhs meter fishing nets, two fishing boats including a trawler for violating rules.
The Mobile courts lodging 18 cases jailed 25 fishermen for one year and fined Tk 23 thousand for defying the fishing ban. The six of the punished fishermen were from Bhola, twelve from Barguna and seven from Patuakhali district.
‘This time we have slapped the 22-day ban not only on netting Hilsa in certain rivers and coastal areas, but also on marketing, sales and transportation of the fish across the country,’ said the deputy director of fisheries directorate at Barisal.