Huge piles of rotten hilsa raise health concerns at Char Fasson

CHAR FASSON, BHOLA, Nov 2: Samraj fishing port in Char Fasson Upazila is bearing the brunt of illegal fishing in the deep sea in defiance of the government ban on catching hilsa.

During the 22-day fishing ban from October 8 to 29 to protect mother hilsa, some unscrupulous trawler owners and fishermen reportedly evaded law enforcers and continued fishing in the deep sea. 

However, as the ban prevented them from returning to shore, a huge quantity of hilsa rotted inside the trawlers due to inadequate ice and fish stocks exceeding the cold-storage capacity of the vessels.

After the ban ended, more than 100 trawlers loaded with hilsa returned to Samraj port over the past three days. Hundreds of tonnes of rotten fish were unloaded from the vessels, leaving the entire fishing port overwhelmed by a foul stench.

The unprecedented sight has left ordinary buyers shocked and angry. More alarming, however, is that many fish traders and wholesalers are buying the rotten hilsa at low prices instead of having it destroyed. They are reportedly busy salting the fish to produce dried and salted hilsa, raising fears that the products could eventually enter the market and pose serious public health risks.

Char Fasson Senior Upazila Fisheries Officer Jayanta Kumar Opu said catching fish during the ban was a direct violation of government directives. 

If any trawler had engaged in illegal fishing during the period, the authorities would investigate based on specific complaints and evidence and take strict legal action, he said.

However, he claimed that the boats carrying rotten fish to the port were not locally owned but had come from other districts to sell their catch there.

Describing enforcement activities during the ban, the fisheries officer said authorities had conducted extensive drives to ensure compliance with the 22-day restriction.

A total of 74 raids and 13 mobile court drives were conducted during the period. The authorities seized around 271,500 metres of illegal fishing nets worth Tk 94.75 lakh.

They also filed 32 cases, arrested 51 fishermen and collected Tk 1.27 lakh in fines for violating the ban. Eight people were sentenced to different jail terms based on the severity of their offences, while two regular cases were filed.

Besides, 1,500 cans of ice allegedly used to facilitate illegal fishing were destroyed during the drives. Nine seized small boats were sold at auction, generating Tk 34,700, which was deposited with the government treasury, he added.

Concerned local residents said those who defied the ban and undermined the government's efforts to protect mother hilsa must be identified and brought to justice despite the extensive enforcement drives.

They also called for urgent intervention by the fisheries department and local administration, including mobile court operations, to ensure that hundreds of tonnes of rotten hilsa unloaded at Samraj port do not enter the human food chain in the form of salted or dried fish.