Bangladesh Coast Guard (BCG) detained 78 fishermen along with 30 lakh metres of illegal fishing nets, seven wooden boats, and 50 kilograms of hilsa fish from Meghna River near Hizla upazila of Barishal on Sunday.
Media Officer of the BCG Headquarters, Lt. Commander Khandaker Munif Taqi, provided the information through a press release on Sunday.
He said the government implemented a nationwide ban on the harvesting, transportation, purchase, sale, storage, and exchange of hilsa fish for 22 days as a part of ‘Mother Hilsa Conservation Operation 2024.’ The ban was effective from October 13 to November 3 to safeguard the mother hilsa. On Sunday, acting on a tip-off BCG station Hizla, along with the Department of Fisheries and the Naval Police, conducted a joint drive on the Meghna River near Hizla uapzila and the adjacent areas from 5.00am to 4.00pm.
During the drive, 78 fishermen were detained and 30 lakh meters of illegal fishing nets, seven engine-powered wooden boats, and 50 kilograms of Hilsa fish were seized by BCG. The confiscated nets were burned in the presence of Muhammad Nasir Uddin, the sub-project director of the Hilsa Resource Development and Management Project of the Fisheries Department, while the seized fish were distributed in a local orphanage.
He further said the 78 detained fishermen were handed over to Easin Sadek, Assistant Commissioner (Land) and the Executive Magistrate of Hizla upazila, for taking legal action.
