Fishermen Ready to Catch Hilsa as Midnight Lifts Fishing Ban

Some are repairing boats, others weaving nets, and many cleaning their vessels. Large fishing trawlers are stocking up on supplies. After a long wait, everyone is busy again, and the previously quiet docks are bustling with activity. The 22-day fishing ban in the sea ends tonight, Sunday, November 3, at midnight. After 12 a.m., everyone will set out on the river to catch fish. In Noakhali's Hatiya, nearly 100,000 fishermen are eagerly making final preparations.

Ala Uddin, president of the Fish Traders' Association at Hatiya's Surjomukhi Ghat, shared that Hatiya has around 20 docks with nearly 10,000 fishing boats, each employing about 10 people, involving around 100,000 people in this profession. To protect the mother hilsa fish, these fishermen have been idle for the past 22 days. Now, with the ban ending tonight, they can resume fishing, and the fishing villages are filled with joy and renewed activity.

During a visit to several docks this morning, fishermen were seen making last-minute preparations to head out to the river. Some were testing their boat engines in the canal, while others were loading ice onto larger fishing trawlers.

Several fishermen at Surjomukhi Ghat mentioned that they have been unemployed for 22 days with no income. Some took up temporary jobs, while others spent their time repairing boats and nets. At midnight, they will all set out to fish. The catch was poor at the beginning of this season, and many boats are still financially burdened with debt. If they don’t catch enough fish after the ban, they might face dire financial situations.

Nazim Uddin, a fisherman from Kazir Bazar Ghat, said he received 25 kilograms of rice from the government during the 22-day ban. Although he was jobless for this period, the 25 kilograms of rice was insufficient for his five-member family, and he had to borrow money to buy other essentials.

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He added that his boat has nine other fishermen besides himself. Five of them received government rice, but the remaining four did not receive any and had to work on daily wages to support their families.

Rashed Uddin, president of the Hatiya Trawler Owners' Association, said Hatiya has over 200 trawlers capable of fishing in deep-sea waters, employing around 4,000 fishermen. Over the past 22 days, trawler owners had to cover the expenses of these fishermen’s families. Since this year has not been financially rewarding for trawler owners either, they continued to support the fishermen's families to ensure the fishermen would be willing to return to the sea after the ban. The government-provided rice is barely enough, and many receive none at all.

Hatiya Upazila Fisheries Officer Fahad Hasan noted that the 22-day ban was strictly enforced, with authorities conducting rigorous patrols on the river and sea. Some dishonest fishermen who violated the ban were apprehended and brought to justice. This year, as an incentive, 12,000 fishermen in Hatiya received 25 kilograms of rice each, distributed across various unions, he confirmed.