Bangladesh’s 22-day restriction on hilsa fishing, imposed from October 8 to protect breeding fish, is scheduled to end at midnight on October 29. Fishers in riverine and coastal communities have been preparing boats and nets to resume work.
The fisheries authorities arranged 25 kilograms of rice per household for 647,690 fishing families across 38 districts during the ban. In Lakshmipur, approximately 54,000 registered fishers depend on the Meghna River for their livelihoods.
Authorities have conducted patrols and operations against illegal nets and fishing during the closure. The restrictions are intended to support hilsa reproduction, although any eventual increase in catches will need to be measured rather than assumed.
Illustrative photograph.