The government’s annual ban on catching Hilsa ends on Thursday night, allowing fishermen to return to the country’s rivers.
However, fishermen along the Padma river in Shibchar Upazila, Madaripur fear catches will be severely reduced following widespread poaching throughout the restricted period.
Local fishermen said mother Hilsa was caught indiscriminately this year due to weak administrative enforcement, with fish netted and sold along the riverbank far more comfortably than in previous years.
Inquiries revealed that Hilsa was openly sold every morning and afternoon at two riverbank spots in Shibchar throughout the ban.
Buyers bought fish freely without hindrance, and residents noted that administrative drives across the Padma were visibly laxer than in previous years.
Md Hasan Mia, a resident of Kazirsura along the riverbank, said fish was sold daily at Kazirsura, yet the administration conducted a drive at the market on only a single day.
He noted that while dishonest fishermen operated out of fear in previous years, unrestricted fishing during this year’s ban has cast doubt on how much fish will be available over the coming year.
According to the Shibchar Upazila Fisheries Office, 42 drives were conducted in the Shibchar section of the Padma River between 8 October and 28 October.
During these operations, officials seized 650,000 metres of banned current nets, collected Tk16,000 in fines, confiscated 30kg of Hilsa, and saw mobile courts sentence 59 detained fishermen to various prison terms.
Shibchar Upazila Fisheries Officer Satyajit Majumder said his team conducted regular river drives from the start and made every effort within their capacity.
He added that Hilsa managed to spawn during this primary breeding season and suggested that operations could have achieved greater success if stronger measures had been taken to suppress robber fishermen and dishonest buyers.
