Hilsa fishing ban: Bhola fishermen gear up as 22-day ban set to end tonight

As the 22-day ban on hilsa fishing is set to end at midnight today, fishing villages in Shibpur Union of Bhola Sadar Upazila came alive with activity, with fishermen preparing their boats to head out in search of the prized fish.
For the roughly 10,000 fishermen residing on both sides of the Bhola Canal, this marks a crucial moment. Mokshed Majhi, a fisherman, expressed hope, saying, “We’ve been waiting for a good catch. It’s been a long time since we could fish freely due to storms and the recent ban. We’re eager to see more hilsa in our nets.”
Another fisherman, Hasan Majhi, shared his anticipation, revealing that he had borrowed Tk 60,000 to repair his boat in preparation for the season.
“If we don’t catch enough hilsa now, it will be hard to repay our loans,” he said.
Despite optimism among fishermen, officials from the Barishal Divisional Fisheries Office indicated that hilsa migration might be lower than usual, which could impact egg production.
Mohammad Anisuzzaman, senior assistant director of the fisheries Office, said, “Our target for hilsa production in Bhola—one of the main migration areas—was 1.85 lakh tonnes. However, only 38,367 tonnes were harvested from July to September. Although initial data suggests a lower spawning rate, the ban has been successful.”
Enhanced surveillance and increased river patrols, Anisuzzaman said, contributed to the operation’s success, despite initial concerns about the hilsa population.
During the ban, registered fishermen in Barishal received 25 kg of VGF rice aid per person, with a total of 3,19,830 tonnes distributed among the 4.21 lakh registered fishermen.