The fisheries department seized 15 illegal behundi nets during an operation in Kutubdia Channel in Cox’s Bazar on Monday to protect mother hilsa and ensure safe breeding and migration. The seized nets were later burned in public.
The operation was conducted with assistance from the Coast Guard under the directive of Cox’s Bazar District Fisheries Officer Md Nazmul Huda.
The drive was part of the 2026 Mother Hilsa Conservation Campaign, organized by the Kutubdia Upazila Fisheries Office. Its objectives included protecting mother hilsa breeding grounds and ensuring safe migration during the spawning season.
During the operation, officials seized 15 behundi nets from the channel and subsequently destroyed them by burning them in public.
Fisheries officials said such operations were important to stop the use of illegal fishing gear during the mother hilsa breeding season. Preventing the use of harmful nets helps protect natural breeding and reproduction, while also supporting future fish production.
District Fisheries Officer Md Nazmul Huda said enforcement operations would continue to implement the government-declared fishing ban and protect hilsa breeding.
‘It is essential to stop the use of harmful nets such as behundi nets during the hilsa breeding season. These nets trap mother hilsa as well as fish of other species and marine animals. Fishers must comply with the law, and everyone needs to raise awareness to protect the natural reproduction and production of hilsa,’ he said.
Cox’s Bazar Life Report
Photo: Courtesy
