Naval Police Drive in Meghna Sanctuary in Chandpur: 40,000 Metres of Banned Current Net Seized, 20 Fishermen Detained
Naval police have detained 20 fishermen for catching hilsa in defiance of the ban in the Meghna River sanctuary area of Matlab Uttar upazila in Chandpur. Huge quantities of banned nets were seized in separate drives, including 40,000 metres of current net in a single drive. Activity has intensified around the drives to protect mother hilsa during the ban period.
Matlab Uttar upazila senior fisheries officer Swapan Chandra Dey disclosed the information on Saturday night (24 October). His account provided the details of the separate drives conducted over the previous 24 hours.
According to the information received, the Matlab Uttar upazila taskforce conducted separate drives over the last 24 hours to protect hilsa breeding. The series of drives was carried out to keep the ban effective in the sanctuary area.
As part of that, the Mohanpur naval police outpost raided the Nasira Char and Banglabazar areas of the Meghna branch river in Mohanpur union on Friday night. Twenty fishermen were detained there for fishing with banned current nets, illegal China chai and mosquito nets.
In that drive, 600 metres of banned current net, 80 metres of China ring net and 50 metres of mosquito net found in the detained fishermen's possession were seized. The seizure list makes clear that three kinds of banned nets were being used together.
Mohanpur naval police outpost in-charge Police Inspector Ruhul Amin said six cases were filed against the detained fishermen under separate sections of the Fish Protection and Conservation Act. He said the drives are continuing.
The drives did not stop there. Senior fisheries officer Swapan Chandra Dey said that in the morning, with the help of Matlab Uttar police station, raids were conducted at temporary fish depots in the Mohanpur and Naykandi Meghna coastal areas of the upazila.
Ten kilograms of hilsa were seized in that depot drive. The seizure of hilsa caught and kept for sale during the ban shows the drive extending from the river to the market.
Later, in the afternoon, another drive was conducted in the Borchar area with the help of the naval police. Swapan Chandra Dey said 40,000 metres of banned current net were seized in that drive — the largest seizure among this round of operations.
The fisheries officer said the seized nets were burnt and destroyed. The seized hilsa was distributed among the destitute, so that it would be used by people rather than wasted.
The Meghna sanctuary area is important for hilsa breeding, and this joint activity by the taskforce, naval police and station police aims to keep fishing stopped there during the ban. The detention of 20 fishermen and the six cases are the result of that activity.
The naval police have said the drives will continue. That suggests such operations will carry on across the Meghna in Matlab Uttar and surrounding areas for the remainder of the ban period.
