A 58-day ban on fishing in the Bay of Bengal came into effect from midnight on Wednesday (April 15) to ensure uninterrupted breeding and increased production of 475 species of marine fish.
The government order suspends all types of fishing in the sea until June 11.
Fisheries experts hope that the initiative will boost marine fish production and create new prospects for hilsa harvesting.
According to the Marine Fisheries Ordinance, the government has imposed a 65-day fishing ban in the Bay of Bengal every year from May 20 to July 23 since 2015. Initially, the restriction applied only to industrial fishing trawlers, but since 2019 it has been extended to all motorized trawlers and boats in coastal areas.
However, the 65-day restriction had long been a source of dissatisfaction among Bangladeshi fishermen. They claimed that during the ban period, fishermen from neighboring countries would enter local waters and catch fish freely.
Following long-standing demands from fishermen, the government revised the duration of the ban last year. The government reduced the duration by seven days to 58 days, aligning it with India’s fishing restriction period. A gazette notification issued on March 11 last year set the new timeframe from April 15 to June 11, which remains in force this year. Coastal fishermen have expressed satisfaction over the alignment with India.
It is worth noting that media reports published in 2019 highlighting the intrusion of foreign fishermen into local waters drew the authorities’ attention. Although the issue had long been overlooked, the revised measure is expected to contribute effectively to increasing fish production.
To ensure the successful implementation of the ban, surveillance and awareness activities have been strengthened in coastal areas, including regular patrols by local authorities and community education programs to inform fishermen about the regulations.
By Mohammad Morshed
Photo: Mohammad Morshed
