Bangladesh deploys 17 warships to protect hilsa fish

Dhaka: Bangladesh has launched an extensive surveillance in rivers and marine waters using drones, warships and patrol helicopters to protect the valuable hilsa fish during its breeding season, officials said on Tuesday.

The drones were being used to enforce aerial surveillance on territorial waters along the southern coastlines and inland waters, officials said, adding that the navy has deployed 17 warships and patrol helicopters to enforce a makeshift ban on hilsa fishing.

“We’ve been conducting extensive surveillance in rivers and marine water through drones to protect hilsa to ensure safe breeding

during its peak breeding period,” Deputy Director of Hilsa Management Section of Department of Fisheries (DoF) Firoz Ahamed was quoted as saying by the state-run BSS news agency.

Bangladesh has enforced a three-week ban on hilsa fishing from October 4 to 25 to safeguard its spawning areas of the fish, which has a high demand in West Bengal and the Bengali-populated state of Tripura.

“The drone surveillance alongside the regular drives and patrols began on Friday midnight and will continue until October 25 midnight in line with a government order,” a fisheries ministry spokesman said.

The Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR) - the media wing of the army - earlier announced that the naval engagement was ordered against domestic and foreign fishermen in Bangladesh’s territorial waters.

“The warships and state-of-the-art maritime patrol aircraft have been conducting round-the-clock surveillance to prevent the

intrusion of domestic and foreign fishermen into the deep sea,” the ISPR said.