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Bangladesh bans Hilsa fishing for 22 days to raise population

Bangladesh on Wednesday imposed a 22-day ban on Hilsa fishing in 27 districts in a bid to increase the population of the popular fish species which contributes one per cent of the country's GDP.

Fishermen in 76 upazilas will be compensated with 20 kg of rice each by the relief and disaster management ministry.

Catching, selling, transportation, storage and exchange of Hilsa fish is now banned across the country and will be particularly enforced in a 7,000 square km area designated the breeding zone, bdnews24.com reported.

Fishermen on the Padma and Meghna rivers in Munshiganj, Chandpur, Laxmipur and Barisal are also forbidden from using fishing nets.

Hilsa fish move from coastal areas to the Padma and Meghna rivers to lay eggs around the first full moon of the Bangla calendar month of Ashwin, said Chandpur Fisheries Chief Science Official and Hilsa Specialist Mohammed Anisur Rahman.

In the past few years, the fishing ban has successfully sustained the Hilsa population, Rahman said.

The government has deployed the coast guard, naval police and other forces to ensure fishermen observe the ban. 
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