50 fishermen arrested along with 8 trawlers

Bagerhat Correspondent :

Some 50 fishermen were arrested along with 08 fishing trawlers from the Eastern Division of Sundarbans on Friday (August 04) on the charge of catching fish from the Eastern Sundarbans defying the ban imposed on catching fish for long 3 months with effect from June 01, 2023 (during the period from June 01 to August 31).

It is leant from Sundarbans forest department that on Friday in early morning a contingent of forest guards led by Shaikh Mahbub Hasan (ACF), Range Officer of Sharnkhola Forest Range conducted a raid in the Sharbhnga canal area within Supati forest office under Shrankhola Forest Range in the Eastern Division of Sundrbans (in Bagerhat district) and arrested as many as 50 fishermen along with 8 fishing trawlers and seized their fishing nets.

All the arrested fishermen hail from the different places of Patarghata Upazila in Barguna district.

It may be mentioned here that within the difference of only 11 days some 101 fishermen were arrested along with 22 fishing trawlers while they were catching fish from the different canals of Dublarchar, Shyalarchar, Alorkol, Chandeswar, Shupati, Maranerchar and other areas in the Eastern Division of Sundarbans.

It is learnt from a reliable source who is not willing to mention his name that after managing some dishonest forest guards the fishermen are catching fish from the forest almost unabatedly defying the banning order.

Shaikh Mabub Hasan, (ACF) Forest Ranger of Sharankhola Range told, a case was lodged with the local PS against the arrested fishermen under the Forest Act.

The ACF added, the field officers and forest guards are trying their best to translate the order in practice for stopping the catching of fish from Sundarbans during the banning period.