Coastal Areas of Bangladesh Witness Abundant Ilish Catches After 65-Day Fishing Ban.
As Eid and Pohela Boishakh festivities approach, fishermen in Bangladesh rejoice as they return home with plentiful catches of Ilish, thanks to a fruitful 65-day fishing ban. A single trawler operation off the Kuakata coast in Kalapara upazila of the Bay of Bengal yielded a remarkable 130 mounds of Ilish.
Surjo Majhi, a fisherman, brought the impressive haul to the Alipur coastal fish market, estimating its market value at around Tk40,00,000. Majhi recounted, “These fish were caught overnight on Friday, approximately 60km off the coast of Kuakata.”
Setting sail from Alipur aboard the trawler named Allar Doya-1, Majhi and 17 fellow fishermen ventured into the Bay of Bengal, where their nets were laden with an abundance of fish. He shared, “As our trawler was fully loaded, we collected half of the fish from the nets and left the rest in the sea. The fish are now being auctioned at the Alipur coastal fish market.”
Apu Saha, the senior fisheries officer of Kalapara upazila, expressed optimism, stating, “Ilish has been frequently appearing in fishermen’s nets recently. With the onset of rains, we anticipate even greater abundance, enriching fishermen’s catches with various other species of fish.”
