 A 65-day ban on fishing has started from Friday midnight during the breeding season of Hilsa and other species of fish in the sea. At least one lakh fishermen are worried about the sustenance of their families as the only means of livelihood is fishing. Fishermen said that the government assistance provided to fishermen during these days of closure is insufficient compared to the demand. They demand to increase the allocation of government assistance. In this regard, the officials of the administration said that the government has various programs with the aim of enforcing the ban on fishing, including the support of fishermen. It is increasing every year. Most of the trawlers have returned from the sea to the coast by Friday afternoon as the ban on fishing came into effect from midnight on Friday (May 19). A small number of trawlers remain at sea but are expected to return by midnight before the fishing ban goes into effect. Rows of anchored trawlers coming back from the sea were seen in various boatyards of Bankkhali river in Cox’s Bazar city. The fishermen are busy removing the fishing nets and other goods from the trawlers. But they are worried about their family members due to the ban on fishing in the sea for more than two months. They said that the allocation of government support to fishermen in the commodity market is insufficient. Although many real fishermen are not covered by the registration, many fake ones have been registered.
A fisherman named Abdul Odud said that a few days ago, Cyclone Mokha hit. Then the sea was rough. And now for 65 days fishing in the sea is stopped. So the coming days will be very difficult. The most difficult thing during this unemployment is that the assistance given by the government is not properly distributed. Another fisherman named Abdur Rahman said that the responsibility of supporting the family of 8 members is on his shoulders. The cooperation provided by the government is not enough. The price of everything is extra. In those closed days, the family does not survive even by driving a rickshaw. Another fisherman named Bahadur said that many times it is seen that the allocation for fishermen is not distributed properly. Those who are in charge also share there. Besides, many times the names of real fishermen are omitted and people of other professions are added to the list. The administration needs to look into this corruption and take action. Cox’s Bazar Fishermen’s Fishermen’s Landing Center’s Fisherman’s Union Advisor and Founder President of Cox’s Bazar Sadar Upazila Fishermen’s Association Zainal Abedin said that it is necessary to increase the allocation of fishermen’s aid to implement the ban on fishing. The registration of real fishermen should be done transparently. The Senior Upazila Fisheries Officer of Cox’s Bazar Sadar, Tarapad Chauhan, said that from Friday midnight, all activities including fish collection, transportation and marketing from the sea are under the ban. Violators will be dealt with as per rules. The issue of assistance to fishermen is part of the government’s ongoing activities. The ban on fishing in the sea will continue from Friday midnight to July 23 midnight. According to the District Fisheries Office, there are 5,153 registered fishing trawlers and 64,394 registered fishermen in the district. Besides, there are at least 3,000 unregistered trawlers and about 50,000 unregistered jails.
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