Dhaka: Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhter today announced that netting of hilsa will be suspended nationwide from October 4 to 25 as part of a special drive to protect mother hilsa. She made the announcement at a press conference held at the ministry’s conference room at the Secretariat.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the adviser emphasized the importance of ensuring sustainable hilsa production by allowing mother hilsa to safely spawn during the peak breeding season. A notification has been issued prohibiting the collection, transportation, storage, marketing, purchase, sale, and exchange of hilsa across the country in accordance with the Fisheries Conservation Act, 1950.
The Fisheries Department has set the timeline for the special mother hilsa protection drive in 2025 from October 4 to October 25. This period includes four days before the full moon of Ashwin (Bangla Month) and three days after the new moon, totaling 22 days. The decision was made based on advice from the Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute (BFRI) and consultations with local fishers.
During her announcement, the adviser highlighted that both the full moon and new moon phases are critical for spawning, ensuring maximum reproduction. The initiative, known as the “Mother hilsa Protection Drive 2025,” will see a complete ban on hilsa collection, transport, sale, storage, and exchange in rivers. The operation will involve fisheries officials in collaboration with the River Police, Coast Guard, Navy, and Air Force.
To support affected fisher families, 6,20,140 families in 165 upazilas of 37 districts will receive 25kg of rice per family under the Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGF) program, totaling 15,503.50 metric tonnes for the entire operation.
The adviser also mentioned that measures will be taken to strictly control the intrusion of trawlers outside water boundaries, halt dredging in rivers, and enforce a ban on hilsa collection along the sea, coast, and river mouths during the peak breeding season.
Reflecting on the previous year’s efforts, she noted that the 22-day drive from October 13 to November 3 led to 2,169 mobile courts and 9,813 operations resulting in the seizure of 54.86 metric tonnes of hilsa, destruction of 612 lakh meters of nets, and collection of fines totaling Tk 75.27 lakh.
Research by BFRI revealed that the 2024 ban allowed 52.5 percent of mother hilsa to safely spawn, contributing 44,250 crore fry/larvae to the fish population, which will mature into adult hilsa in the future. The adviser expressed hope that the 2025 drive will be even more organized and effective.
She further noted that hilsa require both river and marine environments for their life cycle, as mother hilsa enter freshwater rivers from the sea via estuaries to spawn, with larvae returning to the sea to mature. Notably, the Barishal division contributes over 85 percent of the national hilsa production.