Authorities seized five boats, eight behundi fishing nets and around 20kg of hilsa and other marine fish during a mobile court operation in Cox’s Bazar on Saturday as part of the ongoing hilsa conservation drive.
The operation was conducted from 10:00 am in the Bakkhali River, Nazirartek and the Sonadia estuary under the leadership of assistant commissioner and executive magistrate FM Khairul Haque.
The boats and fishing equipment were seized for violating the fishing ban and operating artisanal fishing vessels without permission. A total of Tk 22,000 was collected in fines from the boat owners.
The eight seized behundi nets were destroyed by burning them in public. The confiscated hilsa and other marine fish were distributed to two orphanages.
Cox’s Bazar District Fisheries Officer Md Nazmul Huda, Sadar Upazila Senior Fisheries Officer Sujoy Pal and other officials were present during the operation. Coast Guard Station Cox’s Bazar, under the East Zone of the Bangladesh Coast Guard, assisted the drive.
A 22-day ban on catching, transporting, storing, buying, selling, and marketing hilsa has been in effect from October 8 to October 29 to protect the fish during its breeding season. The administration and fisheries department are conducting operations to enforce the restrictions.
Cox’s Bazar Life Report
Photo: Courtesy
