Despite ban fishing, hunting deer from Sundarbans continues

Bagerhat Correspondent :

Though the authorities concerned imposed ban on catching fish from Sundarbans and entry of any tourist or visitor in (Sundarbans) the forest for long 3 (three) months with effect from June 01 catching the fish and hunting deer from the Eastern Sundrbans not stopped at all, according to reports received here. During the last one fortnight some160 kgs venison (flesh of deer) were seized and 42 fishermen were arrested along with 12 fishing trawlers from the forest.
It is learnt from the forest department that at the night of last Sunday (June 11) police of Chardoani police outpost, adjacent to the river Baleswar while were discharging their patrol duties in the river seized as many as 160 kgs venison and nylon nets used as traps for catching deer from a trawler. But the poachers managed to escape. Police of Chardoani police outpost told, an organized gang of poacher’s hunted deer from the Eastern Division of Sndarbans. On the other hand, on June 08 in the morning forest guards seizes some 8 fishing trawlers along with fishing nets and arrested 18 fishermen from Katleswar canal under Sharnkhola Forest Range and Sarbhanga canal within Supati forest patrol outpost in the Eastern Division of Sundarbans (in Bagerhat district). Besides this, on June 01 forest guards seized 8 fishing trawlers along with fishing nets and arrested 24 fishermen while they were catching fish from the canals within Katka sanctuary forest defying the ban imposed on catching fish by the Sundarbans forest authorities. All the arrested fishermen hail from the different places under Patharghata Upazila in Barguna district.Shaikh Mahbub Hasan (ACF), Officer-in-charge of Sharankhola Forest Range told, the arrested fishermen were released after realizing money from them as fines as per the forest law of Sundarbans. Muhammad Belayet Hossain, DFO (Divisional Forest Officer) of the Eastern Division (of Sundarbans) told, fishermen, Bawalies (collectors of wood and Gol leaves), Mawals (honey collectors) or anybody else including the tourists and visitors are not allowed to enter into Sundarbans as the authorities concerned imposed ban on the entry (of anybody) into the forest for long 3 months from June 01 to August 31.