Meghna fishing banned for 22 days

The government has imposed a 22-day prohibition on all fishing in the Meghna River from midnight on Wednesday until October 29, a measure designed to safeguard juvenile and mother hilsa, with each eligible fisher entitled to 25 kilograms of subsidised rice for the duration.

The restriction applies to a stretch of roughly 100 kilometres, from Alexander in Ramgati, Lakshmipur, to Shatnol in Chandpur, which has been designated a hilsa sanctuary. Accordingly, the catching, transporting, marketing and storing of hilsa will remain strictly prohibited throughout the period. Of the district's 54,000 registered fishers, 42,150 families will receive a combined 153 tonnes of food assistance; however, the remaining 11,850 are presently excluded from the scheme, although officials have pledged to bring them under its umbrella in phases. Meanwhile, authorities are raising public awareness through loudspeaker announcements and posters in riverside and coastal communities.

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Furthermore, the Fisheries Department, the local administration, the police and the Coast Guard will mount joint operations on a daily basis to ensure compliance. Fishers, however, have voiced discontent that the aid fails to reach every registered beneficiary, urging the authorities to update the beneficiary list and extend support to all. District Fisheries Officer Md Jashim Uddin stated that regular patrols would continue and that offenders would face legal action. He added that rigorous enforcement could, in the long run, substantially boost hilsa production.