88 fishermen held for violating hilsha ban in Chandpur

BSS :
A total of 88 fishermen, in separate drives, along with current nets and mother Hilsha fish arrested from the Meghna river here during the last 24-hour for defying the government’s ongoing a 22-day ban on Hilsha fishing.

Sadar Upazila Task Force, Haimchar Upazila Task Force and Naval Police conducted the drives in the district.

Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Chandpur Naval Police Station Md. Kamruzzaman said a total of 88 fishermen were arrested with 672-kg of Hilsha, 26 fishing boats and five lakh meters of banned current nets during the drives in the Meghna river of the district.

The mobile courts sentenced 25 fishermen to different terms  imprisonment.

Among them, 10 juvenile were released as they were minor and rests of the 53 fisherman were sent to jail with a case, he said.

The government has imposed a 22-day ban on catching, selling, storing and transporting Hilsha to ensure safe spawning of the Mother Hilsha during its peak breeding period.

The seized nets were destroyed and the seized Hilsha has been distributed to the orphanages and poor people in the area.