Bhola fishermen disheartened by low hilsa catch during peak season

Bhola Correspondent: More than five weeks have passed since the authorities lifted the ban on hilsa fishing, but the poor catch of the delicious fish from the Meghna-Tetulia River in Bhola district frustrated the fishermen
Fishermen are returning from the rivers with utmost disappointment and spending their days in extreme distress with their families.

Most of them were worried about repaying the loans they took during the monsoon.
The Fisheries Department said the desired quantity of hilsa will be available after the water in the river increases a little more.

Locals said about 30 percent of the country’s hilsa is collected from Bhola’s Meghna-Tetulia rivers but this year, but there is inadequate hilsa in the fishermen’s nets during the full monsoon.
Every day, thousands of fishermen go to the Meghna andTentulia Rivers for catching hilsa but they have to return without getting their desired hilsa. Besides, the price of engine fuel oil of the trawler and other costs were also high, making the fishermen worried.

Some 2 lakh fishermen are involved in netting hilsa after taking loan from the local mohajan (lenders)in the district. Due to the poor catching of hilsa and rising costs many force the fishermen to leave their ancestral profession, some of them told the reporter.

During a recent visit to the Tulatoli fisheries ghat, the UNB Correspondent found a major portion of the fisheries boxes empty and some were seen bringing fish carrying two baskets.
Besides, the wholesale traders also became worried over the poor catch of hilsa.

According to the district Fisheries Department, last year, some 1. 82 lakh metric tons of hilsa were produced and this year, they have set a target to produce 1.85 lakh metric tonnes of hilsa.
The number of registered fishermen is 1.65 lakh in the district . Meanwhile, hilsa is out of reach of the middle-to-low income people in the district as four hilsa, weighing around one kg each, is being sold at Tk 7000-8000.

Biswajit Kumar, District Fisheries officer said “The hilsa season has begun. Due to the presence of many shoals in the Meghna River,hilsa’s presence li low. Though in the last few days, the catch was a bit good due to the full moon.”