Hilsa fish are caught in August every year at traditional areas especially in Cox’s Baza. But this year fishermen doubt of fishing hilsa during the conventional season.
The hilsa trajectory, concerned opine, may change. They say dredging is required to restore the hilsa on the proper channel.
Dredging to fix the trajectory
At the beginning of August, a lot of hilsa was caught in Cox's Bazar, Chittagong. But the fishermen were hoping to get hilsa on the full moon. Even though the full moon passed on 22nd August, the fishermen also fell into misery as hilsa was not caught.
Fisheries Research Institute official in Chandpur Anisur Rahman said the navigability crisis of the river is the main reason for the change of course. However, it is necessary to fix the trajectory of the fish by dredging in the river.
Apart from climate change, industrial development along the river is also one of the reasons. However, hilsa will be available next September, the Chief Scientific Officer of the institute said.
The fish is going back due to fine-mesh current net
Fishermen say that the reason for achieving low caught of hilsa in the rivers is that unscrupulous fishers are enclosing the entrances of hilsa in the river and at the mouth of the sea to get illegal current nets such as behundi, chargara, khuntajal and floating nets. These nets are a lot like fences. After getting obstructed in these nets, hilsa goes back to the sea. Where the illegal net is affixed, char grows within a few days.
Fishery experts believe that hilsa has changed its course due to the presence of ditches, barriers to entry into the river from the sea, illegal fine-mesh nets and silt from the northern slopes.
Likely to be available in September
The tides are strong in the new moon and full moon. This will increase the movement of hilsa fish. So the next full moon will come up with very good quantities, Chief Scientific Officer Anisur Rahman said.
August 22 is the full moon. There will be an abundance of hilsa after the full moon. Signs of good hilsa caught already appeared in Cox's Bazar. For six days, a lot of hilsa has been coming to the Cox's Bazar Fisarighat.
Why most hilsa are getting into net in Cox's Bazar
Anisur Rahman said that hilsa move in a group. All move on same direction. They don’t stay everywhere all the time like other fish. After the coast of Cox's Bazar the school of hilsa fish is likely to move towards, Mirsarai, Noakhali, Hatia, Char Fashion of Bhola followed by Patuakhali.
If the speed of water is not high, hilsa does not want to come from upstream. At this speed the salinity of the river decreases. The way to Hilsa eases. This time there has been more rain in the Naf river area. So hilsa is getting caught more in that area.
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