Fishing ban in haors lifted

The fisheries department yesterday lifted the ban on fishing in the haors of Moulvibazar and Sunamganj.

The decision came a day after Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission confirmed that the radiation levels in the water and the dead fish and ducks collected from the flashflood-hit haor region were within the permissible limits.

Talking to The Daily Star, Mosharaf Hossain, deputy director of fisheries department of Sylhet division, said the decision to withdraw the ban was effective yesterday.

The ban on fishing in the haors was imposed on April 17 after dead fish were seen in the haors.

This correspondent found that the fishermen were catching fish in different areas of Hakaluki Haor yesterday morning.

Monir Mia, a fisherman of Pusainagor village near Hakaluki Haor of Moulvibazar's Kulaura upazila, said after a huge loss, he saw a ray of hope for his livelihood when he heard that the ban was withdrawn.

Mohammad Shipon, a farmer of Begbanpur village under the same upazila, said his catch was small.

Abdul Hadi, a farmer of Radhapur village, said despite their attempts, they failed to protect the embankment along Shanir Haor in Sunamganj's Tahirpur upazila. The crops would not have gone under water if the embankment had been repaired in time. 

As he lost his paddy crop, now his six-member family would have to depend only on fishing, he said.  

The annual production of fish from Hakaluki Haor is about 14,000 tonnes. Around 25 tonnes of fish were lost this year, as the flashflood hit the waterbody relatively early, said AKM Shafiquzzaman, fisheries officer of Moulvibazar.

To recoup the loss, around 18 lakh fish fries would be released into the haor this June, he said.

Deputy Director Mosharaf, who has been visiting the affected districts for the last few days, said, "The fishermen told us that fish died due to rotten paddies."    

Quoting the fisheries office of Sunamganj, he said it was primarily estimated that around 50 tonnes of fish died in Sunamganj. 

Bijoy Sen Roy, joint convener of Haor Bachao, Sunamganj Bachao, demanded compensation for the farmers and declaration of the district as a distressed area.