Dhaka Bureau: Fisheries and Livestock Minister Sh. Rezaul Karim said strict action will be taken if the law is violated during the Hilsa conservation campaign. The minister said this at a press conference organized on the occasion of the implementation of the Hilsa conservation campaign 2023 in the conference room of the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock at the Secretariat on Wednesday (October 11).
At this time, the minister said that strict action will be taken against those who violate the law during the Mother Hilsa conservation campaign. Those concerned with maintaining law and order have been assigned the responsibility of conducting mobile courts to protect Ma Hilsa, bring law violators to justice, and ensure that no fishing boats can go into the river or sea during Ma Hilsa conservation. Due to the successful implementation of the mother hilsa conservation campaign last year, about 52 percent of mother hilsa eggs were able to hatch within 22 days of the ban on hilsa extraction. As a result, about 8 lakh 5 thousand 515 kg of eggs were produced last year, out of which about 40 thousand 276 crore jatkas were added to the hilsa population.
He also said that Hilsa fish is a significant part of Bangladesh’s agriculture. More than 80 percent of the total hilsa produced in the world is produced in Bangladesh. Various rules and regulations are followed in all aspects of increasing hilsa fish production in the country, improving quality, and large-scale hilsa production. Notable among them is the non-extinction of jatka and the preservation of mother Hilsa.
He also said that this year, from October 12 to November 2, a 22-day Mother Hilsa conservation campaign will be observed. The government is more active this year than other years to ensure that Mother Hilsa is not harmed in any way. As a result of the conservation of mother hilsa and jatka, the production of hilsa in the country has increased, the quality has increased, and large hilsa fish are available. In order to continue this trend, the government is going to conduct a Mother Hilsa conservation campaign this year. As a significant part of this, the officials of the Department of Fisheries and the law enforcement forces will monitor the mother Hilsa by water, land, and even by air. The government is providing VGF support so that those who refrain from collecting hilsa during this time do not suffer. Already, this support has reached 155 upazilas in 37 districts rich in hilsa in the country. Under this, a total of 13 thousand 872.18 metric tons of food assistance are being provided to 5 lakh 54 thousand 887 fishermen families at a rate of 25 kg.
The minister also said that hilsa extraction has increased unexpectedly due to the implementation of various integrated programs by the government to develop hilsa resources. Hilsa production in 2008–09 was 2.98 lakh metric tons. With the planning and management of the government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the extraction of hilsa increased to 5.71 lakh metric tons in the fiscal year 2022–23. Hilsa production has increased by about 92 percent in the last 15 years.
The minister also added that if mothers catch hilsa or jatka this year, the production of hilsa will decrease next year. If the production of hilsa decreases, those who extract hilsa will suffer. If there is a lot of hilsa production, those who are involved in hilsa extraction will take that time, sell it, and get a higher price.
The Minister of Journalists also said that the movement of Hilsa changes due to the environment and surrounding climate. Unplanned dredging, pollution from burning oil emitted from vehicles, and harvesting of fish in sanctuaries while ignoring bans are affecting the production of hilsa. However, the government is trying to increase the production of hilsa.
Regarding the export of Hilsa, the minister said that Hilsa has now become a part of diplomacy. Hilsa is exported to the neighboring country, India, on a limited scale. Which is playing a helpful role in the development of commercial and diplomatic relations between the two neighboring countries. From 2019–20 to the 2022–23 fiscal year, 5 thousand 541 metric tons of hilsa were exported to India, from which the export income was Tk 439 crore. The government has approved the export of 3,950 metric tons of hilsa to India in the financial year 2023–24. So far, 609 metric tons of hilsa have been exported to India, from which the export income is 6.2 million US dollars.
In response to another question from journalists regarding the increase in the price of hilsa, the minister said that although there is no cost in the production of hilsa, there are costs in the extraction, storage, and transportation of hilsa. The government provides support in various ways, including VGF assistance and alternative employment arrangements for those who abstain from hilsa collection during the prohibited period. However, the price of hilsa is higher than the level that should be bearable due to the higher profit of traders. In this regard, those involved with market management are being urged in various ways by the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, and they have already done several things to control the prices. If there is more strict monitoring and care from the fish harvesting center to the marketing, it is possible to bring the price of hilsa to a more bearable level.
Secretary of the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock Nahid Rashid, Additional Secretary Abdul Qayyum, Director General of the Fisheries Department, b. Mahbubul Haque, was present at this time.
